Las Vegas, Nevada (October 09, 2023) – The Indian Gaming Industry converged upon the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) 2023 this morning in Las Vegas with a dynamic array of tribal government industry-led standing-room-only workshops and sessions to kick off the global gaming confab on Indigenous People’s Day.
Indian Gaming Association Chairman Ernie Stevens, Jr. said, “It is always great to see our tribal government gaming representatives join this global event. Indian Gaming plays a vital and significant role in the overall gaming industry’s success, and our representation continues to be a prominent force. These outstanding sessions bring further insight into the significant advancements and successes of our Indian gaming industry.”
The morning’s session included a panel of tribal leaders and advocates in a panel entitled “The Next Era of Tribal Gaming: Politics, Policies, & Opportunities,” The discussion explored the political landscape, policy developments, and emerging trends shaping the future of tribal gaming. This session will examine the opportunities and challenges faced by gaming tribes and discuss how the industry is adapting to the ever-evolving gaming environment. Gain insights into potential growth areas, the impact of policy changes, and the influence of emerging technologies like AI on the tribal gaming landscape.
The discussions were moderated by Victor Rocha, Conference Chairman of the Indian Gaming Association, and panelists included Holly Cook Macarro, a Principal of The Angle, David Bean, the Vice Chairman of the Indian Gaming Association, and Erica M. Pinto, who serves as Chairwoman, of the Jamul Indians.
Tribal Gaming sessions continued with the “Evolving Regulatory Landscape of Tribal Gaming: Preparing for the Future” panel. Moderated by Jonodev Chaudhuri, Principal, Chaudhuri Law, the panel brought together Indian gaming regulation industry leaders that included Jamie Hummingbird, Gaming Commission Director at the Cherokee Nation, Elizabeth Homer, Principal at Homer Law and a lead facilitator of the IGA Seminar Institute and Les Stanley, Executive Director of the Wilton Rancheria Gaming Commission.
The session looked at the evolving regulatory landscape of tribal gaming and how it impacts your operations, where these industry experts discussed the latest developments in tribal gaming regulation, potential policy changes, and how to prepare for the future. They provided further insights into the challenges and opportunities the changing regulatory environment presents, learned best practices for ensuring compliance and mitigating risk, and expanded on strategies needed to navigate this complex landscape and position your tribal gaming operation for continued success.
The morning sessions concluded with the “Tribal Crossover: Success with Commercial Entities” panel, where the discussion targeted the tribal gaming success across the country and the future and the increasing pursuit of commercial opportunities and opportunities of tribal crossover into commercial gaming.
Moderated by Sheila Morago, Executive Director, OIGA, and panelists included Ray Pineult, President and CEO of Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, Erin Copeland, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer at San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and Stephanie Bryan, Chairwoman, Poarch Band of Creek Indians.