NIGC Announces Intention to Revise Proposed Class II Regulations

Washington DC, February 9, 2007 — The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC or Commission) announced that if it goes forward with regulations to better distinguish between technologic aids to bingo and Class III casino games and with technical standards for those technologic aids, such regulations would likely vary from those the Commission published in May and August of 2006.

“We remain committed to bringing consideration of these important issues to an early conclusion,” NIGC Chairman Phil Hogen, stated, “but as it is likely that our finished product would depart in several areas from that published in the Federal Register in 2006, we are withdrawing those earlier proposals.  We are busily working on revisions.  If and when we finish those — and we are cautiously optimistic that will be soon — new drafts would be published as proposed regulations and further comment would be solicited before they are finalized.”

Official notice will be published in the Federal Register next week, of the Commission’s withdrawal of the proposals relating to Definitions and Classification Standards published on May 25, 2006, and those relating to Technical Standards on August 11, 2006.

The Commission has conducted extensive Government-to-Government consultations over the past year, meeting with over 70 individual Tribes and holding an unprecedented public hearing on September 19, 2006 in Washington, DC.  The Commission has received over 100 comments from Tribes and over 40 comments from other interested parties. The copies of the statements and transcripts from the consultations and hearing are available on the NIGC web site (www.nigc.gov).

“We have received an impressive amount of productive and thoughtful comment on these critically important issues” said NIGC Chairman Phil Hogen.  Hogen continued, “The Commission has listened and carefully considered this input, concluding that it must take another look at the form and substance of the proposed regulations.”

Chairman Hogen stated, “The Commission understands and fully appreciates the significance of these regulations and their potential impact on existing and future Tribal Class II gaming operations, and the critical need there is for clarity in this area.” 

The NIGC is an independent regulatory agency established within the Department of the Interior pursuant to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988.

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