Last week the National Indian Gaming Commission at its national headquarters in Washington D.C. hosted a conference entitled “Reflecting on 30 Years of IGRA.”
The guest list including tribal leaders, gaming regulators, federal officials of all kinds and gaming industry experts and leaders. Many of these were on panels and discussion sessions that aimed to both commemorate and reflect on how Indian gaming has impact Indians throughout the country in the 30 years since the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was passed by Congress October 17, 1988. One of the first results of that law was the creation of NIGC.
Some speakers talked about the history of Indian gaming prior to the passage of that landmark legislation. Other recalled the 1987 California v. Cabazon, the Supreme Court decision that established the right of tribes to conduct gaming—which then led to IGRA.
Some noted that despite restrictions IGRA made to tribal sovereignty that it has created a potent tool for self-determination and economic development. Other speakers ventured to look ahead to what may be wrought in the next 30 years.
Jonodev Osceola Chaudhuri, chairman of National Indian Gaming Commission observed, “In evaluating the gains made over the last 30 years, we at the NIGC, as regulators, have seen the inarguable benefit of supporting tribal decision-making wherever possible so that the primary regulators of Indian gaming—the tribes themselves—can pursue effective economic development tailored to their unique histories and landbases consistent with IGRA’s policy goals and regulatory framework.”
