Indian Nations' Sports Betting to be Discussed in January

Between January 4th and 6th in New Orleans, a Winter Meeting of Committee on Casinos will be held at the National Council of Legislators. The key topic of their discussions will be Native American nations and tribes and their role in expanding sports betting market across the US.

The Committee will also be focusing on a continuous growth of the Indian gaming industry, that has sured the commercial casino industry in revenue rise in the last decade. At the moment, almost half of the 1,000 land-based casinos in USA are operated by Native American tribes.

The three-day conference will be held at Harrah’s New Orleans.

A Force to be Reckoned With

Indian nations are adapting fast to the changing climate of US gambling – and no year has been quite challenging but also as fulfilling in that regard as 2018.

As multiple states are nearing the completion of their sports betting legislation regulation, Native American tribes are beginning to offer sports betting to their services far and wide. Four speakers who are experts on the matters of governmental actions and roles in overseeing and fostering growth will be giving their insight on this.

Perry Thurston, Florida Senator and a Committee Chair, said: “As a Florida legislator, I know how Indian gaming can be a dynamic economic force for tribal , communities and states. This committee – and this excellent roster of speakers – is committed to making sure that sovereign tribal and state governments continue working together for mutual benefit.”

Presenters who will be making their appearance and sharing their knowledge with the audience are:

Kenneth George Jr, Chairman of Forest County Potawatomi Gaming Commission; Dan Little, Vice President of Government Relations and a former NIGC Commissioner; Sheila Morago, Executive Director of Oklahoma Indian Gaming association; and Valerie Spicer, Founding Parner of Trilogy Group.

On the Agenda

Topics to be covered during the Council of Legislators are the following:

• Keynote Luncheon Address from former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, whose arguments before the Supreme Court resulted in overturning the federal prohibition on sports betting
• Six legislative committee sessions: Casinos, Emerging Forms of Gaming, Lotteries, Pari-Mutuels, Sports Betting/iGaming, and State-Federal Relations
• The Big Picture: Focus on Freshman Class of Legislators – an introduction to gaming
• Two Masterclasses presented by the International Masters of Gaming Law
• Thursday evening and Friday evening welcome receptions
• Saturday afternoon back-of-house tours of Harrah’s New Orleans
• Sunday general session focusing on the relationship between gaming and tourism

National Council of Legislators from Gaming States is the only body of this kind that brings together state lawmakers in order to meet on a regular semi-annual basis and discuss ongoing issues and trends in gambling legal framework.

On their official website, it is stated that “NCLGS is a proactive participant in educating legislators on gaming issues, in the development of public policy related to state-authorized gaming, and, where consensus exists, in representing the states before Congress and the executive branch of the federal government on states’ rights issues relating to gaming.”

A Summer meeting has also been arranged and will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota between July 12th and 14th.

Source:

“Future of Indian Gaming to be Focus at Winter Meeting of Legislators from Gaming States, January 4-6 in New Orleans”, Zoltan Tundik, europeangaming.eu, December 5, 2018.