Winning Together
We achieve our policy goals through diplomacy and activism
By Ernie Stevens Jr .
The National Indian Gaming Association was formed in 1985 by a visionary group of tribal leaders determined to bring the voice of Indian Country and Indian gaming to Washington , D . C .
Today , NIGA continues to build on their mission to educate federal policymakers . It is committed to protect and preserve the ability of Indian tribes to generate governmental revenue through gaming while strengthening tribal governments and tribal sovereignty .
In over four decades — before and after passage of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act ( IGRA )— Indian gaming has responsibly grown into the largest segment of the gaming industry in North America .
In 2018 , 241 tribal government owned-andoperated gaming entities in 29 states generated $ 33.7 billion in gross gaming revenue — a 4.1 percent increase over 2017 . Tribal operations added an additional $ 5.3 billion in ancillary revenues ( hotel / entertainment ), to bring our gross revenue total to $ 39 billion .
Indian gaming revenues have helped tribal governments transform native communities , improving essential health , education , public safety and housing services , and providing critical infrastructure for reservation residents .
Our industry serves as the anchor for employment and economic development for native and nearby communities . Indian gaming is the 12th largest private employer in the United States , generating 308,712 direct jobs . An additional 458,232 indirect jobs rely on Indian gaming , bringing our total employment figure to 766,944 American jobs .
Tribal leaders realize that none of these benefits would be possible without a strong regulatory system to protect Indian gaming revenues and preserve the integrity of our operations . While tribal governments take on the primary day-today role of regulating Indian gaming operations , IGRA requires coordination and cooperation with the federal and state governments to make this comprehensive regulatory system work .
In 2018 , tribes invested $ 457 million on regulation . This figure includes funding for state-ofthe-art surveillance and security equipment , IT and cybersecurity systems , and more than 4,000 regulatory and security professionals .
Over the past several decades , Indian gaming regulators have gained significant expertise . Early on , many tribal regulators came directly from federal and state gaming regulatory bodies , law enforcement and judicial systems . Many others had backgrounds in commercial gaming regulation , banking and accounting . Today , however , an increasing number of Indian gaming regulators are homegrown , learning directly from these experts .
Tribal leaders are also investing in educational and job opportunities for our native youth , far beyond careers in Indian gaming . Tribal leaders know that education is the key to securing our future and to revitalizing reservation economies .
Today , thanks in part to Indian gaming , tribal governments are educating a generation of new native leaders . In the past , we relied on outsiders to serve as our teachers , police officers , doctors , lawyers and other professionals . But today , these professionals are more likely to come from Indian Country . Native youth are going out to get their educations , and more and more are returning to serve their communities .
As noted at the onset , NIGA ’ s primary mission is to bring the voice of Indian Country and Indian gaming to Washington , D . C . Last month , NIGA held our 20th annual Winter Legislative Summit .
NIGA ’ s Winter and Summer Legislative Summits and our constant education efforts have worked to build a substantial core of members of Congress , committed to improving federal laws to respect the governmental status of Indian tribes , and meeting the solemn treaty and trust obligations of the United States to Indian Country .
Our legislative summits provide tribal leaders with an opportunity to hear directly from federal lawmakers and top agency officials about pending legislation and federal agency proposals . At the same time , these officials hear directly from Indian Country about our policy priorities .
The 2020 Winter Legislative Summit brought together panels that focused on the need to restore balance to IGRA ’ s tribal-state compacting process , the need to amend the tax code to provide tribes with access to capital on par with other governments , the longstanding need to protect Indian trust lands and improve the land-into-trust process , and other critical issues facing native nations in the 116th Congress .
The future policy direction of Indian Country will undoubtedly be influenced by the results of the upcoming election . To meet our policy goals , we must vet and educate candidates at all levels of government who recognize and understand Indian Country , respect the status of Indian tribes as separate sovereigns under the U . S . Constitution , and commit to upholding the federal government ’ s solemn treaty and trust obligations .
The November 3 , 2020 election will have wideranging impacts and consequences on our efforts to advance native communities nationwide .
In Indian Country , exercising our voting rights not only serves to advance our future policy goals , but it also serves as an act of honoring those who came before us , and honoring the sacrifices they made to protect tribal sovereignty and our way of life for future generations .
Elections have consequences . We know the dire consequences of being shut out of the voting process . Throughout the 1800s , the United States implemented policies that stole native homelands , and sought to erase native culture by forcing our children into government-run boarding schools , where they were forbidden from speaking their native language and practicing their religion .
The United States approved and implemented these policies , all while Native Americans had no voice in the debate and no right to vote . The impacts of these policies continue to haunt our communities to this day .
For these reasons , NIGA launched the “ My Vote WILL Count ” campaign in September 2019 , to ensure that all Native Americans heed the call and exercise their voting rights .
NIGA ’ s “ My Vote WILL Count ” campaign partners our member tribes with national and regional tribal organizations to plan events to educate , empower and encourage all Native Americans to
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6 TRIBAL GOVERNMENT GAMING 2020