Indian Gaming > Tribes won't let NIGC conduct Class III audits

November 30, 2006

Tribes won't let NIGC conduct Class III audits

Tribes nationwide aren't letting the National Indian Gaming Commission audit their Class III operations in the wake of a landmark court decision.

On October 20, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the NIGC lacks the authority to regulate Class III gaming. Since then, 15 audits have been suspended and 12 tribes in Oregon, California, Arizona, Minnesota and Oklahoma have refused to let NIGC come inside their casinos.

"We've had doors slammed in our faces," NIGC Chairman Philip Hogen told USA Today in an interview.

Hogen said the NIGC hasn't decided whether to appeal the ruling. The agency has already asked Congress to amend the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act to address the issue.

Get the Story:
Feds: Ruling hurts oversight of Indian casinos (USA Today 11/30)