NIGC Vacancy Leaves Tribal Gaming Without Key Advocate

_{The NIGC hopes to swear in another chairman soon so the organization can resume full operations. (Photo: Nature and Science / Alamy)}

The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) has been without a chairperson since January, when Acting Chair Sharon M. Avery’s time in the role came to an end. According to tribal gaming officials, that absence is starting to cause consequences for their operations, and will only become a more serious issue the longer the agency goes without a leader.

The NIGC, which operates within the Department of the Interior under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), offers national regulation for Native American gaming operations.

Management Agreements Delayed Without Chairman in Place

While the NIGC can continue some of its operations, key responsibilities fall to the chairperson. That includes enforcing safety standards, approving tribal gambling laws, and certifying agreements between tribes and the operators they want to work with at their gaming venues.

As reported by the Associated Press, that’s already causing delays in some business agreements for tribal groups. When the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma recently opened its new Harrah’s casino in Chandler, Oklahoma, the facility had the Harrah’s branding. But the tribe can’t yet turn over operations to Harrah’s without a chairperson at the NIGC.

Instead, the tribe is currently managing the casino, something it never intended to do.

“It’s discouraging,” Tribal Chairman Jacob Keyes told the AP. “We’re paying a fee [to Harrah’s] and not getting the full value.”

Delays like these come at a difficult time for tribes, as they feel they need all the help they can get to compete in an increasingly competitive gaming industry. In addition to the widespread growth of both casino gaming and sports betting over the past decade, the proliferation of prediction markets represents a serious threat to their revenues.

Tribes Feel Left Behind in DC Gambling Conversation

Typically, the NIGC chairperson has acted as an advocate for the tribal gaming industry in the nation’s capital. But with President Donald Trump yet to nominate a new head for the agency, tribes feel like they’re fighting at a disadvantage as the federal government weighs the future of prediction markets. Given the Trump administration’s close ties and support for the prediction market industry, some tribal officials think the vacancy is intentional.

“These things are happening in conjunction with each other,” California Nations Indian Gaming Association Chairman James Siva said during an April press conference. “It is not a coincidence by any means.”

Avery continues to serve on the NIGC board, as does Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Billy Kirkland, who was appointed in April 2026. Kirkland’s appointment has also been criticized by some, as the NIGC is meant to be an independent agency, while Kirkland still serves in the executive branch of the federal government.

But at the moment, getting a new chairperson is the biggest priority for those with a stake in Native American gaming.

“At this crucial time, the [NIGC] is operating with one arm tied behind its back,” former NIGC chair Jonodev Chaudhuri told the AP. “That’s a very precarious position for tribes and Indian gaming.”

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