Following the announcement of a new legislation that would tighten federal regulations of Indian Casinos, tribal authorities gathered and raised their voices opposing the measure. The bill responds to a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington stating that the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 does not authorize the federal government to regulate tribal casinos.

According to the Court, Indian casinos should be regulated by states and tribes through compacts. However, Senator Byron Dorgan believes the ruling has made it evident that there are some gaps in the regulation of Indian gaming and for that reason he decided to put together new and more complete regulations.

Senator Dorgan, who acts as chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, said that he wished to discuss the bill with tribal and federal authorities before introducing it. For that reason, he met them during this week’s committee hearing, in which tribal representatives told the audience that the Indian gaming industry is flourishing and an amendment to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act could be harmful for it.

Ron Allen, Chairman of the Indian Gaming Association in Washington said that tribes do not want to empower the NIGC, the federal agency in charge of regulating Indian casinos, with this proposed bill that would make the agency a “nanny” both for the state and the tribes.