Summary: GAO reviewed the implementation of gaming regulation by the National Indian Gaming Commission, the state of Washington, and several other states. GAO noted that the Nisqually Indian Tribe was operating class III (casino-type) gaming in Washington without the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, which is required by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988.
GAO noted that: (1) the tribe did not submit its compact with the state of Washington to the Secretary of the Interior for approval until very recently; (2) as a result, the Indian Gaming Management Staff, an administrative office within the Bureau of Indian Affairs that receives and logs in the compacts submitted for the Secretary's approval and publishes a list of approved compacts, did not know that the tribe had a compact with the state; (3) in addition, the National Indian Gaming Commission, which oversees and enforces compliance with class III gaming regulations, was not aware that the Nisqually Indian Tribe was operating class III gaming without the required approval of its compact; and (4) although it is unknown why this omission was not detected, GAO is concerned that similar instances of noncompliance may or could exist elsewhere and go unnoticed.
