About
Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA), established in 1986, is a non-profit organization of Indian Nations with other non-voting associate members representing organizations, tribes and businesses engaged in tribal gaming enterprises from around Oklahoma. The common commitment and purpose of OIGA is to advance the welfare of Indian peoples economically, socially and politically.
Mission and Vision
The mission of the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association is to promote the general welfare of the Oklahoma Indian Tribes through the development of sound policies and practices with respect to the conduct of gaming enterprises in Indian Country. As a trade association, the purpose of OIGA is to educate and disseminate information to the tribal, federal, and state governments and the general public on issues relating to tribal government gaming.
Officers
If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to contact us via our physical location, telephone, or email.
Billy Friend, Chief
OIGA Vice Chairman
bfriend@wyandotte-nation.org
Wyandotte Nation
64700 E. 60 Hwy
Wyandotte, OK 74370
Christian Fenner
OIGA Secretary/Treasurer
chistiand@choctawnation.com
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
P.O. Box 1909
Durant, OK 74701
Phone 580-920-0160 Ext. 1156
Fax 580-920-0760
Jerry Lankford
OIGA Executive Delegate at Large
jlankford@miamination.com
Miami Tribe of Oklahoma
P.O. Box 1326,
Miami, OK 74354
Phone 918-541-1357
Wes Pappan
OIGA Executive Delegate at Large
History
Tribal Government Gaming in Oklahoma began several decades ago with simple bingo halls situated in retrofitted buildings. Today, 35 Tribal Nations in Oklahoma currently operate more than 130 gaming facilities with approximately 72,850 electronic games, almost 5,300 bingo seats and other games. Tribal Government Gaming operations include 20 casinos with hotels/resorts with a combined total of more than 5,000 rooms, and almost 500,000 square feet of meeting, function and entertainment space.
Other related ancillary facilities and amenities include almost 200 restaurants and bars, nine golf courses with a total of 126 holes, five spas, seven RV parks with nearly 375 sites, more than 50 gas and convenience stores as well as destination and convenience retail, several bowling centers, laser tag and a movie complex.
Oklahoma has the second largest Native American population in the United States, behind only California. According to the 2010 Census, 482,760 Oklahomans identified as Native American alone or in combination with other races.
Tribal Gaming Timeline
1992
First tribal/state compact is signed; allows only pari-mutuel horse race wagers at tribal casino.
1992 to 2000
Tribes focus on maximizing Class II games, including continued development of electronic aids for Class II games.
2004
Some uncertainties remained, so tribes and state discussed expanded compacts to allow for skill games and card games. The proposed compact that was the result of negotiations between the Governor and Tribes was put on the ballot as State Question 712. The compact applies to Class III gaming only.
2009
Oklahoma led the nation in the growth rate of tribal gaming.
Awards
Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Indian Gaming
This award honors those in Oklahoma Indian Gaming Operations who have worked through the ranks and made significant impact in their own workplaces and communities and who have also been living examples of the positive impacts that Oklahoma’s Tribal Government Gaming industry has brought.
These recipients epitomize the intent and purpose of Tribal Government Gaming Operations. Their personal achievements and growth has helped the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Industry achieve the high level of success that we now enjoy.
These milestones of their success are not only measured in actual dollars or profits for their tribal benefactors, but the personal, professional and spiritual growth of those involved in this industry.
Most importantly, these honorees have helped our young people grow into strong young men and women, and have proven that if given the opportunity, ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things, thanks to the dedication and discipline that this industry offers its members.
Modern Day Warrior Award
This award is designed to honor professionals in the Indian Gaming Industry who have dedicated tireless effort and support to champion the cause of Oklahoma Tribal Government Gaming.
The Modern Day Warrior has traded the arrow for the pen, and has been Tribal Government Gaming’s front line of defense for the rights and sovereignty of the nations that comprise the Indian Gaming Industry, in order to keep us on a viable path of progress and prosperity for generations to come.
Facts About Indian Gaming
U.S. SNAPSHOT OF TRIBAL GOVERNMENTAL GAMING
- 573 federally-recognized Indian Tribes
- 241 Tribal Governments engaged in gaming (Class II or Class II)
- 501 Tribal Governmental gaming operations (several Tribes operate more than one facility)
- 29 states with Tribal Governmental gaming: (Class II or Class III)
- 635,000 plus jobs created – 75% held by non-Indians (In areas of high unemployment, 80% of Tribal governmental gaming employees are Indian)
TRIBAL GOVERNMENT GAMING IN OKLAHOMA
- 38 federally-recognized Indian Tribes
- 35 Tribes have signed compacts
- 130+ Tribal gaming operations – these range from an annex to a gas stop to full-scale resort casinos
TRIBES & PER CAPITA PAYMENTS
- Three-fourths of gaming Tribes devote all of their revenue to Tribal governmental services, economic and community development, to neighboring communities and to charitable purposes. 75% of tribes do not give out per capita payments.
- Tribal government services, Economic and Community development, general tribal welfare, charitable donations and any requirements for aid to local governments must be provided for before a Tribe can file for a “Revenue Allocation Plan.”
- The Secretary of the Interior must approve any per capita payments as part of a “Revenue Allocation Plan.”
- Only about one-fourth of Tribes engaged in gaming distribute per capita payments to tribal members.
- Tribal members receiving per capital payments pay federal income tax on these payments.
REGULATION & INDIAN GAMING
- Tribal Governmental gaming is regulated on three levels.
- Under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), Indian Nations and Tribes are primary regulators of Indian gaming. IGRA stipulates that Tribes establish the basic regulatory framework for Indian gaming.
- State regulation may be included in Tribal/State compacts for Class III gaming.
- Federal agencies enforce laws relating to Indian gaming, including the National Indian Gaming Commission, the Interior Department, the Justice Department, FBI, IRS, Secret Service and the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.
- Federal law makes it a crime punishable by up to ten years in prison to steal, cheat, or embezzle from an Indian gaming operation. That law is enforced by the FBI 18 USC ss.
TAXES & TRIBAL MEMBERS
- All Indian people pay federal income tax.
- All Indian people pay FICA taxes.
- All Indian people pay social security taxes.
- Only those Indians who live and work on their own federally recognized reservations – not unlike soldiers and their families living on military installations – are exempt from paying state income and property taxes.
TRIBAL USE OF NET REVENUES
- Revenues from Tribal Governmental gaming must be used in five specific areas as stipulated by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2710 [Sec. 11].
- Net revenues from any tribal gaming are not to be used for purposes other than
- to fund Tribal Government operations or programs;
- to provide for the general welfare of the Indian tribe and its members
- to promote Tribal economic development
- to donate to charitable organizations
- to help fund operations of local government agencies
Related Links
The following links are limited to those organizations, programs, and specialized agencies whose activities are directly or indirectly related to Indian gaming. These links are offered as a resource of educational, legislative and public policy for tribes, policymakers, and the public on Indian gaming issues and tribal community development. If there are websites you feel should be listed here, please email the link and all appropriate information to info@okindiangaming.org.
Arizona Indian Gaming Association
The Arizona Indian Gaming Association (“AIGA”), a 501 (c) 6 non-profit organization, has a membership of 17 tribes representing 90% of the Indian people living on reservations in Arizona.
AIGA was established on November 21, 1994, by Arizona tribal leaders. The Association is committed to advancing the lives of Indian peoples economically, socially, and politically – so Indian tribes in Arizona can achieve their goal of self-reliance.
The California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA), founded in 1988, is a non-profit organization comprised of federally-recognized tribal governments. CNIGA is dedicated to the purpose of protecting the sovereign right of Indian tribes to have gaming on federally-recognized Indian lands. It acts as a planning and coordinating agency for legislative, policy, legal and communications efforts on behalf of its members and serves as an industry forum for information and resources.
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Great Plains Indian Gaming Association
The Great Plains Indian Gaming Association (GPIGA) is a voluntary association composed of 24 federally recognized Tribal Nations in the Great Plains Region. The GPIGA’s purpose is to protect and promote the Tribal gaming industry by bringing together federally recognized Tribal Nations in the Great Plains Region who are operating gaming enterprises, utilizing a spirit of cooperation to develop common strategies and positions concerning issues affecting all gaming tribes. GPIGA promotes tribal sovereignty and economic development, which provides a positive impact throughout the communities in the Great Plains area. It draws upon the unique status of those within the Great Plains Indian Nations who have Treaties between themselves and the United States in order to influence and shape national legislation as well as issues affecting Tribal Economic Development.
Minnesota Indian Gaming Association
The Minnesota Indian Gaming Association (MIGA) was established in 1987 to help member tribes exchange information, address shared concerns, and educate the public, media and elected officials on tribal gaming and other issues of importance to tribal governments.
The association’s purpose is not to dictate policy to tribes, since each member tribe is a sovereign nation. Instead, the organization serves as a forum for discussion of the many issues facing tribes as they work to preserve gaming and renew their economic, social and cultural resources. MIGA enables tribal leaders to speak with a unified voice on critical matters of local, state and federal policy.
The National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA), established in 1985, is a non-profit organization of 168 Indian Nations with other non-voting associate members representing organizations, tribes and businesses engaged in tribal gaming enterprises from around the country. The common commitment and purpose of NIGA is to advance the lives of Indian peoples economically, socially and politically. NIGA operates as a clearinghouse and educational, legislative and public policy resource for tribes, policymakers and the public on Indian gaming issues and tribal community development.
As an independent federal regulatory agency of the United States. The National Indian Gaming Commission was established pursuant to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. The Commission comprises of a Chairman and two Commissioners, each of whom serves on a full-time basis for a three-year term. The Chairman is appointed by the President and must be confirmed by the Senate. The Secretary of the Interior appoints the other two Commissioners. Under the Act, at least two of the three Commissioners must be enrolled members of a federally recognized Indian tribe, and no more than two members may be of the same political party. The Commission maintains its headquarters in Washington, D.C., with five Regional Offices, located in Portland, Oregon; Sacramento, California; Phoenix, Arizona; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma Tribal Gaming Regulators Association is a non‐profit, voluntary association composed of Tribal Gaming Regulatory entities, representing federally recognized tribal governments involved in Oklahoma gaming.
Oklahoma Association for Problem and Compulsive Gambling
The Oklahoma Association for Problem Compulsive Gambling is a non-profit 501 c (3) corporation. It is a standing policy of the OAPCG to take no position for or against legalized gambling.
OAPCG is funded by contributions from the State of Oklahoma, the gaming industry, corporations and donations from private citizens. The goal of OAPCG is to provide education and training regarding problem and compulsive gambling for health care providers, increase public awareness within the state about the problems associated with problem and compulsive gambling, provide information about compulsive gambling to all concerned individuals, conduct research in areas related to this problem, and develop prevention and education programs for all residents of Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Office of State Finance Gaming Compliance Unit
In the 2004 legislative session, the Oklahoma Legislature approved the “State-Tribal Gaming Act.”
It established a model tribal gaming compact, essentially a “pre-approved” offer to all federally recognized Indian tribes as defined in the legislation. Acceptance of the compact allows compacting tribes to operate the following covered games: electronic bonanza-style bingo games, electronic amusement games, electronic instant bingo games, and nonhouse-banked card games.
The laws include minimum state regulatory requirements on games, accounting and auditing standards, the licensing of employees, liability insurance, property claim procedures and several other provisions. Finally, the law established a State Compliance Agency (SCA), which is identified as the Office of State Finance (OSF). The Gaming Compliance Unit (GCU) is the sub-unit of OSF, which has the authority to carry out the State’s oversight responsibilities under the compact.
The Official State of Oklahoma Website
As the official Internet gateway for the state of Oklahoma, we are committed to being Oklahoma’s e-government solutions provider of customized personal services, businesses and citizens, developing financially advantageous electronic services in a creative, nurturing and success-oriented environment.
United Southern and Eastern Tribes
USET is dedicated to promoting Indian leadership, improving the quality of life for American Indians, and protecting Indian rights and resources on Tribal lands. Although its guiding principal is unity,USET plays a major role in the self-determination of all member Tribes by working to improve the capabilities of Tribal governments. Established in 1969, United South and Eastern Tribes Inc., is a non-profit, intertribal organization that collectively represents its member Tribes at the regional and national level.
The U.S. Government Official Web Portal
FirstGov.gov, the official U.S. gateway to all government information, is the catalyst for a growing electronic government. Our work transcends the traditional boundaries of government and our vision is global-connecting the world to all U.S. government information and services.
Washington Indian Gaming Association
The Washington Indian Gaming Association (WIGA) is a non-profit organization of tribal government leaders of federally recognized Tribes in the state of Washington. WIGA’s Board of Directors is composed entirely of duly appointed representatives of the governing bodies of the member Tribes. The common commitment and purpose of WIGA is to advance the lives of Indian peoples – economically, socially and politically.
As a trade association, WIGA’s purpose is to educate and disseminate information to the Indian gaming community, federal and state governments, and the general public on issues related to gaming in Indian Country.
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The National Tribal Gaming Commissioners/Regulators Organization promotes cooperative relationships among the commissioners/regulators of Tribal gaming enterprises and other organizations and the exchange of thoughts, information and ideas which foster regulatory standards and enforcement that lead to consistent regulatory practices and methods of operations among the NTGC/R members. They promote educational seminars, which include commission/regulatory training, and other related activities; and NTGC/R may act as a gaming regulatory advisory group to Tribal gaming organizations and others.