COVID-19 in Indian Country

For news about tribal casino closures and more, check out all the latest updates on our COVID-19 in Indian Country page.

Catawba Nation continues work on controversial casino in North Carolina

The Catawba Nation is reaching into history for its forthcoming, and still controversial, gaming facility on ancestral territory.

Posted: September 1, 2020

Gaming initiatives backed by tribal corporation faces uncertain future

Gaming initiatives backed by Ho-Chunk Inc., the economic development corporation of the Winnebago Tribe, can't appear on the November ballot, Nebraska Secretary of State Robert B. Evnen announced.

Posted: August 25, 2020

Chuck Hoskin: Renewed gaming compacts ensure a brighter future for Oklahoma

Tribal contributions to this state are strong, and with renewal of our gaming confirmed, they will stay that way.

Posted: August 10, 2020

Republican governor suffers another setback in dealings with tribes in Oklahoma

From contracting COVID-19 to being cut out of talks with tribes, Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) has endured a rough month in Oklahoma.

Posted: July 28, 2020

Cronkite News: Gila River hotels, casinos close for two weeks after worker death

The Gila River Indian Community has temporarily shut down its gaming operation following the death of an employee to COVID-19.

Posted: June 19, 2020

Cronkite News: Curfew curtailing casinos? Don’t bet on it, owners say

Public spaces around Arizona may have been closed overnight by a statewide curfew this week – but tribal casinos have stayed open.

Posted: June 5, 2020

'We are thrilled': Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe hails victory for sovereignty

The state of South Dakota's anti-tribal sovereignty efforts have been dealt a serious blow from the highest court in the land.

Posted: May 27, 2020

Tribes sue Trump administration after being excluded from coronavirus relief program

Three Indian nations whose businesses were excluded from the first round of the Paycheck Protection Program say they were denied millions of dollars in coronavirus relief.

Posted: April 27, 2020

Donovan White: Standing up for Native Americans and Native American jobs

Through our gaming, hotels and restaurants, and convenience store, Sisseton-Wahpeton has created hundreds of jobs in North Dakota and South Dakota.

Posted: April 27, 2020

'Finally': Tribal gaming in line for coronavirus relief amid stiff competition for resources

As Indian Country continues to fight for its share of coronavirus resources, tribes are finally seeing some good news come out of Washington, D.C.

Posted: April 24, 2020

Oregon tribes’ primary engines – casinos – stalled by COVID-19

When health officials identified Oregon’s third known victim of COVID-19 early last month as an adult who worked at the Wildhorse Resort & Casino near Pendleton, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation jumped into action.

Posted: April 23, 2020

'We keep getting left out': Tribal gaming remains locked out of $349 billion coronavirus relief program

With some Indian Country businesses still locked out of a $349 billion coronavirus relief fund, the Trump administration is finally consulting tribes about a program that is expected to run out of money before they even have a chance to benefit from it.

Posted: April 14, 2020

'We need clarification now': Indian gaming industry being shut out of coronavirus relief program

With the $33 billion Indian gaming industry at a standstill in the midst of the worst public health crisis in decades, tribal casino operations are in danger of being left out of a major coronavirus relief program.

Posted: April 3, 2020

Pamunkey Tribe eager to move forward with casino proposals

The recently recognized Pamunkey Tribe is seeking to build two casinos in Virginia as full-scale gaming moves closer to reality.

Posted: March 23, 2020

Catawba Nation celebrates after Trump administration changes mind on casino project

It took nearly seven years but the Catawba Nation has finally won approval to build a casino after the Trump administration changed its mind on the matter.

Posted: March 16, 2020

National Indian Gaming Association postpones annual convention

The 2020 Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention is being rescheduled in light of coronavirus concerns in California.

Posted: March 16, 2020

Tribes continue to share gaming revenues in Oklahoma despite dispute with governor

Tribes in Oklahoma continue to share Class III gaming revenues with the state even though the Republican governor claims their agreements expired on January 1.

Posted: March 9, 2020

Sault Ste. Marie Tribe wins major victory in homelands litigation

The Trump administration's disjointed tribal homelands policy continues to crumble amid scrutiny in the courts and in Indian Country.

Posted: March 6, 2020

NIGA keeps close watch on coronavirus ahead of annual convention

The National Indian Gaming Association is getting ready for another successful tradeshow.

Posted: March 6, 2020

Umatilla Tribes reopen casino after addressing coronavirus

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation reopened their gaming facility after addressing fears connected to the coronavirus in Oregon.

Posted: March 5, 2020

Native Sun News Today: Alcohol sales at casinos proposed

Voters of the Oglala Sioux Tribe are being asked to approve the sale of alcohol at gaming establishments on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.

Posted: March 5, 2020

Tribes at odds with governor over expansion of gaming in Connecticut

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribe want to expand gaming in Connecticut but the governor is backing rival legislation that could undermine their rights.

Posted: March 3, 2020

Oklahoma governor won't let Indian ancestry doubts derail gaming dispute

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation but the tribe once tried to remove his ancestors from their rolls.

Posted: March 2, 2020

Umatilla Tribes shut down casino and takes precautions as coronavirus hits Indian Country

A casino employee tested 'presumptive positive' for the coronavirus, prompting the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation into action.

Posted: March 2, 2020

Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe loses appeal in homelands case

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe isn't giving up despite a negative ruling from a federal appeals court.

Posted: March 2, 2020

'I don't think he can spell sovereignty': Oklahoma governor faces fire in high-profile gaming dispute

Tribal leaders ripped Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) to shreds in a blockbuster story that raises significant doubts about the Cherokee ancestry of the state's top executive.

Posted: February 20, 2020

Pokagon Band shares another $860,000 in gaming revenues in Indiana

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians continues a unique arrangement that began under former mayor Pete Buttigieg, who is now a leading Democratic candidate for president.

Posted: February 19, 2020

NCAI stands with tribes in high-profile gaming dispute in Oklahoma

The National Congress of American Indians is throwing its weight behind tribes in Oklahoma as they deal with one of the greatest threats to their sovereignty.

Posted: February 18, 2020

Shoshone-Bannock Tribes face rumors of casino following land purchase

A recent land purchase is stirring rumors of an off-reservation casino in Idaho.

Posted: February 13, 2020

Eight plead guilty to stealing more than $5 million from Miccosukee Tribe

Eight people admitted they stole $5.3 million in cash from Miccosukee Resort and Gaming in Florida.

Posted: February 6, 2020

Tribes continue to take hit from electronic pull tabs in North Dakota

Tribes are continuing to lose revenues due to the proliferation of non-Indian electronic pull tabs across North Dakota.

Posted: February 6, 2020

Alabama governor wants 'facts' on gaming compact with Poarch Band of Creek Indians

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) still won't commit to negotiating a Class III gaming compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.

Posted: February 5, 2020

Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe stands alone in battle for homelands

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is heading to court to defend the status of its reservation in Massachusetts.

Posted: January 30, 2020

Grand Traverse Band shares gaming revenues with community

Since 1994, the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians has shared more than $41 million with local governments, schools and organizations in Michigan.

Posted: January 30, 2020

Republican leader agrees with tribes in gaming compact dispute

A key Republican lawmaker is siding with tribes in an ongoing Class III gaming compact dispute in Oklahoma.

Posted: January 29, 2020

Alabama-Coushatta Tribe turns to Congress after hitting end of road at Supreme Court

The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe won't be able to argue for its gaming rights at the nation's highest court.

Posted: January 27, 2020

Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe defends sovereignty in gaming case

Class II gaming is not subject to state or local jurisdiction but a federal judge is trying to force the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe to cede authority anyway.

Posted: January 27, 2020

Kevin Stitt: Tribes must share more gaming revenues with Oklahoma

The Native American governor of Oklahoma took office a year ago. His relationship with tribes hasn't been the greatest.

Posted: January 27, 2020

Pamunkey Tribe goes commercial casino route in Virginia

The Pamunkey Tribe is agreeing to follow state law and pursue a commercial casino.

Posted: January 15, 2020

Tule River Tribe continues long push to relocate casino

The Tule River Tribe continues to make strides toward moving its casino to a new location in California.

Posted: January 15, 2020

Oklahoma's gaming fight is about people’s lives

According to the U.S. Department of Labor and Statistics, about 1,900 Oklahomans earn their living as Class III gaming dealers.

Posted: January 14, 2020

Tribes join race for commercial casino in Virginia

Two Indian nations are looking to land a commercial casino in Virginia while a third keeps its options open after recently gaining federal recognition.

Posted: January 8, 2020

Tribes sue Oklahoma governor to protect Class III gaming rights

The Cherokee Nation, Chickasaw Nation, the Choctaw Nation are suing the Republican governor of Oklahoma as a gaming impasse enters the new year.

Posted: January 6, 2020

John Berrey: Oklahoma governor threatens tribal economies

The Oklahoma governor’s actions have begun threatening the stability of tribal gaming, and thereby the revenue bases of tribal governments and the countless gaming industry jobs across the state that provide livelihoods to Oklahomans.

Posted: January 1, 2020

Oklahoma governor stands alone in tribal gaming compact negotiations

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R), a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, is growing increasingly isolated as he continues to demand a larger share of gaming revenues from tribes.

Posted: December 18, 2019