Chairman, National Indian Gaming Association
Ernie Stevens, Jr. is the Chairman and national spokesperson for the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) in Washington, D.C. Stevens is currently in his tenth two-year term as the organization’s leader, which is a position elected by the member tribes of the National Indian Gaming Association.
As Chairman of NIGA, Stevens represents the Indian gaming industry. In this role, he has worked to educate Congress, the media and the public about the positive impacts of Indian gaming on tribal and nearby communities. Stevens is also responsible for shaping policy initiatives that have the potential to impact the industry. Stevens has led the Association and worked to protect Tribal Sovereignty and strengthen the Indian gaming industry. During his tenure, Indian gaming revenues have risen from $11 billion in 2000 to over $37.3 billion in 2017 making Tribal Government Gaming the largest segment of the Gaming Industry in the United States, passing Commercial Gaming.