Ongoing Success of Tribal Government Gaming into the Future Today, Tribal Government Gaming professionals are the experts in our industry. They know how to run the shop, how to offer the kind of “Customer Experience” our customers are looking for and they have Created Destination Resort Experiences by… • Creating Partnerships with Celebrities in Indian Country, including comedians, actors, singers and bands who perform at tribal gaming entertainment and concert venues; • Developing hotel and resort properties that are tied to and integrated with Native culture, language, and food; • Offering spa and natural therapies; • Bringing in amenities such as theme parks for the entire family, shopping, gas, restaurants, golf, bowling and much more; and • Partnering with tribal museums, artists, historians, and environmentalists to provide a singularly unique experience. Through Tribal Government Gaming, Native Nations are working together and learning from each other. Indian nations and tribes have established joint hospitality ventures in Washington, D.C. and in nationally recognized resort areas. Our Member Tribes have built and re-built Four and Five-Star Properties in major cities, including San Diego, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Phoenix, and other major venues. A growing number of tribal governments are also taking their decades of experience in managing and regulating Indian gaming operations by expanding into the commercial gaming market in wide variety of states and countries around the world including; Aruba, Curacao, South Korea, Greece and Japan. However, it is important to note that while tribally-owned commercial casinos operate outside of IGRA, these tribal government enterprises continue to dedicate revenue generated from these operations directly back into Native communities. Tribal Government Gaming has proven to be far more than a means to an end, it has proven to be life- changing and transformative. In the beginning, Indian gaming was a “diamond in the rough” for Indian Country, and today, we are a Shooting Star! Conclusion As you can see, we have a lot of work to get to, but with the energy you all bring to this Convention, I am confident that we will continue to meet our mission of protecting tribal sovereignty and the ability tribal governments to engage in gaming to better our communities. Working together, we will continue to build new and strengthen existing relationships with Congress and the Administration to strengthen our industry and expand the benefits of Indian gaming to all of Indian Country. With nearly 8,400 attendees, the National Indian Gaming Association celebrated another record-breaking year at our 2018 annual Convention and Tradeshow. As we continue to grow our show, we build on our success and broaden our reach to an even larger audience. We are so grateful to our Member Tribes, Tribal Leadership, the operations and regulatory professionals and experts and to our partner organizations for all that you have done and continue to do on behalf of the Indian Gaming Industry. Working in unity has gathered our strength and expanded our success to make us more robust and the most substantial force in the gaming industry. I want to thank each and every one of you for being a part of the Indian Gaming Team!
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