Indian Gaming Now

NIGC

An Interesting Critique and Call for Reform

Nov 17 2010
In the latest issue of Casino Enterprise Management, former NIGC attorney Richard Schiff lays out the effect of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Seminole Tribe (Seminole Tribe v. Florida, 517 U.S. 44 (1996)), as well as the CRIT case out of the D.C. Circuit (Colorado River Indian Tribes v. NIGC, 466 F.3d 134 (DC Cir. 2006)) on federal regulation of Indian gaming.  The article, provocatively titled, "The Illusion of Regulation in the Indian Gaming Industry," calls for Congress to "fix" Seminole and CRIT.

Praise for Phil Hogen

Oct 12 2010
In a recent Indian Country Today column, Dave Palermo sings praise for Phil Hogen's long tenure as the Chair of the National Indian Gaming Commission.  Nearly everyone in the tribal gaming industry is aware that Hogen's efforts to strengthen and tighten federal regulation of Indian gaming drew ire from many fronts, particularly from tribes and game manufacturers.  Hogen never was able to promulgate regulations to create a "bright line" between Class II electronic bingo and Class III slot machines, despite years of work at the NIGC.

Palermo champions the connection between tribal sovereignty and effective regulation (even federal regulation), writing:

Kathryn Participates in Roundtable for GLRE

Jun 23 2010
Kathryn participated in a "roundtable" discussion of hot topics in tribal gaming for a future issue of the Gaming Law Review&Economics.  Other roundtable panelists were attorneys Heidi Staudenmaier, Mike McBride, and Gabe Galanda.  Steve Zweig, the new managing editor for GLRE, moderated the roundtable.  Topics included off-reservation gaming, land acquisition, revenue sharing, and the NIGC.  Look for a transcript of the roundtable discussion in the next issue of the GLRE.

Much Ado About "Little," & Steve's Quoted in ABC News Blog

Apr 3 2010
Last month, Interior Secretary Salazar tapped Daniel J. Little for the National Indian Gaming Commission, to finally fill the third seat on the Commission.  But Little may not be writing a nice thank you note to the Secretary and the President anytime soon.

NIGC Understaffed . . . Again

Feb 17 2010
The National Indian Gaming Commission is once again understaffed, with only two members -- and one of those an interim Chair.  Commissioner Norm DesRosiers' three-year term has ended, leaving the NIGC with interim Chair George Skibine and brand-new Commissioner Steffani Cochran.

With the exception of the few weeks that DesRosiers and Cochran overlapped, this once again leaves the NIGC with only two of the three commissioner positions filled -- a situation that has become par for the course, as one commissioner position has been open for more than two years.

Skibine on His Role as Interim NIGC Chair

Nov 20 2009
George Skibine, the interim Chair of the NIGC, recently spoke publicly about his role -- or perhaps lack thereof.  He said he expects his interim appointment to be short -- "seven months – max" -- and that during that time, he will not make any significant changes.  "We're not going to have any regulations while I'm there," he said, indicating that the NIGC would not amend or promulgate regulations under his interim leadership.

NIGC Chair Phil Hogen to Step Down; George Skibine to Serve as Interim Chair

Sep 25 2009
Long-time chair of the National Indian Gaming Commission Phil Hogen has announced his retirement, though no specific date for his departure from the NIGC has been set.  He will get a nice reception on Friday, Oct. 2, though, marking his 25 years of service in the federal government, including nine years with the NIGC.