Indian Gaming > Indian Gaming Regulatory Act marks 20th birthday

October 13, 2008

Indian Gaming Regulatory Act marks 20th birthday

It's hard to believe but the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act turns 20 this month, having been signed into law on October 17, 1988.

Tribes were engaging in gaming long before the law came around. But its passage paved the way for what is now a $28 billion industry.

The law, however, has its share of critics. "It’s one of the ugliest pieces of legislation there is. That old saying about legislation being like making sausage fits it," Kevin Washburn, a former general counsel to the National Indian Gaming Commission, told The Northwest Arkansas News.

The law is the subject of Indian Country's Winning Hand: 20 Years of IGRA, a conference taking place in Arizona on October 16-17.

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Impact Of Indian Gaming Law Changed Casino Industry (The Northwest Arkansas News 10/11)