Release - Indian Gaming

Indian Gaming Opportunities,Challenges to be Addressed at Summer Meeting of Legislators from Gaming States, July 11-13 in Chicago

CHICAGO – Indian gaming – a $35 billion industry that serves as an economic engine in 29 states – will be a centerpiece of policy discussions at the upcoming Summer Meeting of the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS), July 11-13 at the InterContinental Magnificent Mile. The NCLGS Summer Meeting is scheduled to be the first national US in-person gaming conference in more than a year.

The NCLGS Committee on Indian Gaming will address critical issues that include:

Has the pandemic affected tribal casinos in rural areas differently than those in metropolitan areas?

Do compacts that were drafted in a pre-digital world need to be reconsidered?

What will new technologies and new efforts to tap a broader demographic – including sports betting, esports and igaming – mean for the partnerships between state and tribal leaders?

Representative Georgene Louis of New Mexico, the first Native American lawmaker to serve as an Officer of NCLGS, will chair the Committee. Confirmed presenters are:

E. Sequoyah Simermeyer, Chair, National Indian Gaming Commission

Ernest L. Stevens III, Founder and CEO, Indian Gaming Esports Authority (iGEA)

Hilary Tompkins, Partner, Hogan Lovells, former Solicitor US Department of the Interior

The intensive, three-day NCLGS Summer meeting agenda includes:

Morning Keynote Address from Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot

Luncheon Keynote Address from Rush Street Gaming Co-Founder Neil Bluhm

Six legislative-chaired Committee sessions that will focus on responsible gaming, tribal and commercial casinos, sports betting, and lotteries.

An International Masters of Gaming Law Masterclass titled “Distributed Gaming – Legal and Otherwise”

A general session panel discussion titled “Gaming’s Awkward Stage: How to Regulate a Mature Industry that is Still Emerging”

Two evening networking receptions

This year NCLGS welcomes two organizations that are co-locating their meetings with the Summer Meeting: the GLI University Mid-Year Gaming Regulators Seminar 2021, which takes place July 11, and the Association of Racing Commission International (ARCI) Model Rules and Board Meetings, July 12 -13,

To view the agenda, register, and book rooms at the host hotel at special attendee rates by the June 30 deadline, click here

The NCLGS Summer Meeting has been approved for 8.5 credits by the Nevada Board of Continuing Legal Education, underscoring its prominence as a vital gaming forum.

Due to the popular demand of this event, interested attendees should register early to guarantee attendance. Registration is open to the public and available here.

Both NCLGS and the host InterContinental will fully adhere to CDC, state and local guidelines that govern public events.

For sponsorship information, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Legislators and others seeking NCLGS membership information should contact Josh Faber at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

NCLGS meetings are organized and produced by Spectrum Gaming Group, which serves as NCLGS Executive Director.