Secretary Bernhardt Applauds Nomination of Sequoyah Simermeyer for Chair of the National Indian Gaming Commission

Date: June 25, 2019
Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov

WASHINGTON – Today, President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to nominate E. Sequoyah Simermeyer to chair the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC). Simermeyer, a member of the Coharie Tribe, previously advised the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, served under the Department of the Interior’s Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, and worked for the National Congress of American Indians.

“Sequoyah Simermeyer has a wealth of experience on tribal issues working in different executive and legislative branch capacities,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt. “He is the ideal candidate for this position, and I urge Congress to confirm him quickly.”

“We appreciate the President quickly nominating a new Chair of the National Indian Gaming Commission,” said Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. “Mr. Simermeyer has years of experience that qualify him for NIGC Chair including serving as Counselor and Deputy Chief of Staff to the Department of the Interior’s Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, as Counsel on the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and presently as Associate Commissioner of the NIGC since November 2015. We look forward to hearing about Mr. Simermeyer’s vision for the NIGC during the confirmation process.”

In his current role as a Commissioner and the Director of Self-Regulation for the National Indian Gaming Commission, Simermeyer works with federal, state, and tribal bodies on national gaming regulatory policy and compliance as well as self-regulation petitions.

Simermeyer formerly advised the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and served as the Deputy Chief of Staff and as a Counselor to the Department of the Interior’s Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. He also advocated on national and international policy issues with the National Congress of American Indians and holds a law degree from Cornell Law School.

Background

The NIGC has jurisdiction over 512 licensed gaming establishments operated by 246 Indian Tribes in 29 States. In FY 2017, tribal gross gaming revenues were approximately $32.4 billion. The NIGC currently has roughly 114 full-time employees in seven regional offices with an annual budget of $25 million in FY 2019. The NIGC budget is funded through fees paid by tribal gaming operations and can be up to 0.080% of gross gaming revenue pursuant to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

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