(July 24, 2025) — The National Association Against iGaming (NAAiG) today announced a landmark addition to its fast-growing coalition—Laguna Development Corporation (LDC), one of New Mexico’s leading gaming and hospitality companies and a wholly owned enterprise of the Pueblo of Laguna.
LDC operates several key entertainment destinations across New Mexico—including Route 66 Casino Hotel, Casino Xpress and Dancing Eagle Casino—and employs over 1,000 people in the state. The decision to join NAAiG reflects growing concern among tribal operators that the expansion of iGaming undermines in-person casino traffic, reduces local economic activity and threatens the hard-won gains of tribal self-reliance through gaming.
“As a tribal enterprise, our success is directly tied to the communities we serve and the jobs we support,” said Maxine Velasquez, President & CEO of Laguna Development Corp. “We are joining NAAiG to make it clear that the voices and sovereign rights of tribal nations must not be ignored as the future of tribal gaming is shaped in this country. iGaming poses a threat to more than just our revenue. It threatens the very foundation of tribal economic development that empowers our communities.”
NAAiG welcomed LDC’s membership as a pivotal moment in its expanding campaign to raise awareness about the risks posed by online gambling.
“The addition of Laguna Development Corporation is a historic milestone for our coalition,” said NAAiG Board Member Mark Stewart, EVP & General Counsel of The Cordish Companies. “As the first Native American operator to join us, LDC brings a vital and authentic voice to this fight, one that understands firsthand how iGaming threatens more than jobs and revenue. It puts tribal sovereignty, cultural heritage and decades of hard-won investment in Native communities at risk.”
LDC joins a growing alliance of public- and private-sector leaders, including municipalities, labor unions and commercial operators, who are united in their mission to stop the unchecked spread of iGaming. NAAiG’s recently released report details how online gambling contributes to the erosion of in-person entertainment infrastructure, declines in tax revenues and increases in regulatory and social costs.
Other recent members include the Maryland Washington Minority Companies Association (MWMCA), UFCW Local 27, SEATU, the cities of Black Hawk, Central and Cripple Creek in Colorado, Gilpin County, Colorado, and Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. Each joined in response to growing concerns about iGaming’s disruptive impact on local economies and the well-being of their communities.
“Digital gambling doesn’t just threaten the casino floor—it threatens the whole ecosystem that surrounds it: small businesses, tourism, infrastructure, and cultural institutions,” said NAAiG Board Member Shannon McCracken. “We’re proud to stand alongside Laguna Development Corporation as we continue to advocate for responsible gaming policies that prioritize real people and real places.”
For more information about NAAiG or to access the organization’s latest impact research, visit www.naaig.org.