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MENUMENU
  • HOME
  • Commission
        • About Us
          • History
          • Agency Strategic Goals
          • Contact Us
          • Organizational Structure
          • Strategic Plan
          • Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey
          • Performance Dashboard
        • Commission Actions
          • Bulletins
          • Commission Final Decisions
          • Dear Tribal Letters
          • Enforcement Actions
          • NEPA Decision of Records
            • Categorical Exclusion Administrative
        • Commissioners
          • Speeches
          • Tribal Consultations
        • Past Commissioners
        • Frequently Asked Questions
        • Human Trafficking Resources
        • Office of Self-Regulation
        • Reports and Publications
  • Office of Chief of Staff
        • Compliance
          • Alternate Standards
          • Audit
          • Bulletins
          • Checklists and Worksheets
          • Regional Offices
        • Finance
          • Annual Commission Budgets
          • Annual Fees
          • Fingerprint Fees
          • Gross Gaming Revenue Reports
          • Management Contracts
        • Public Affairs
          • Biographies
          • Community Impact
          • Featured Articles
          • Legislative Affairs
          • Media Center
            • Seals and Graphics
            • Press Conferences & Transcripts
          • News Release
        • Technology
          • CJIS Resource Materials
          • Fingerprint Process
          • IT Vulnerability Assessment
          • Kiteworks Guide for External Users
          • Tech Alerts and Warnings
          • Tribal Access Portal
        • Training
          • Catalog of Courses
          • Environment, Public Health and Safety
          • Toolkits
          • Training Event Calendar
          • Video Library
  • Office of General Counsel
        • Compacts
        • Gaming Ordinances
        • Game Classification Opinions
        • Legal Opinions
          • Declination Letters
          • Indian Lands Opinions
          • Game Classification Opinions
        • NIGC Services Cheat Sheet
        • Laws and Regulations
          • Indian Gaming Regulatory Act
          • Commission Regulations
          • EPHS Interpretive Rule
          • DOI Gaming Regulations
          • Johnson Act
          • Gaming Criminal Laws and Penalties
          • National Environmental Policy Act
  • I want to…
    • Contact the nearest NIGC office
    • Submit electronic financial statements
    • View upcoming training & events
    • Find the Minimum Internal Control Standards
    • See agency decisions and actions
    • View NIGC’s Indian gaming regulations
    • Request a legal opinion
    • Report A Violation
About Us

About Us

Home › Commission › About Us

The National Indian Gaming Commission was created in 1988 with the passage of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), which was enacted to support and promote tribal economic development, self-sufficiency, and strong tribal governments through the operation of gaming on Indian lands. The Act provides a statutory basis for the federal regulation of Indian gaming. IGRA establishes the Commission to regulate and support tribal gaming as a means of generating revenue for tribal communities. See 25 U.S.C. § 2704.

The Commission consists of three full-time members, including a Chair and two Associate Commissioners. The Chair is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The two Associate Commissioners are appointed by the Secretary of the Interior. The Commission selects a Vice Chair by a majority vote. At least two members of the Commission must be members of a federally recognized Indian Tribe and only two may be of the same political party.

The National Indian Gaming Commission is committed to fulfilling its responsibilities by:

  • regulating and monitoring certain aspects of Indian gaming;
  • coordinating its regulatory responsibilities with tribal regulatory agencies;
  • providing training and technical assistance to tribal regulatory agencies;
  • reviewing and approving tribal gaming ordinances and management agreements;
  • reviewing the backgrounds of individuals and entities to ensure the suitability of those seeking to manage or invest in Indian gaming;
  • overseeing and reviewing the conduct and regulation of Indian gaming operations;
  • enforcing violations against the IGRA and its regulations; and
  • referring law enforcement matters to appropriate tribal, Federal, and state entities.

To achieve its Congressional mandate, the Commission adheres to the principles of good government, including transparency and agency accountability; promoting fiscal responsibility; operating with consistency and clarity to ensure fairness in the administration of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act; and respecting the capabilities and responsibilities of each sovereign tribal nation in order to fully promote tribal economic development, self-sufficiency, and strong tribal governments.

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