The NIGC is operating without a chair, limiting approvals and enforcement.
Why it matters: That leaves tribal operators and regulators with less certainty on approvals, compliance actions and emergency orders. It matters to tribes running casinos, to companies doing business with them and to federal oversight of a $46.2 billion market.
- The National Indian Gaming Commission says it is without a chair after Acting Chair Sharon M. Avery’s term ended Jan. 12, 2026.
- In a bulletin, the NIGC said some emergency powers remain delegated to Vice Chair Jeannie Hovland, including temporary closure orders, proposed civil fine assessments and emergency ordinance approvals.
- The commission said tribal gaming generated $46.2 billion in fiscal 2025 gross gaming revenue from 545 gaming establishments operated by 246 tribes in 29 states.
- The Senate Indian Affairs Committee lists Patrice H. Kunesh as a prior chair nominee and John Simermeyer as a later nominee who was withdrawn.
The National Indian Gaming Commission says it is operating without a chair, a vacancy that affects how the federal regulator handles some approvals and enforcement matters for tribal gaming. The agency oversees gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
In a bulletin, the commission said that when there is no chair, emergency authorities delegated by former Chair E. Sequoyah Simermeyer to Vice Chair Jeannie Hovland cover temporary closure orders, proposed civil fine assessments and approval of tribal gaming ordinances for emergency use only.
The vacancy follows the end of Acting Chair Sharon M. Avery’s term on Jan. 12, 2026, according to the NIGC. The agency says she reverted to associate commissioner the next day.
The NIGC’s latest revenue report said tribal gaming produced $46.2 billion in fiscal 2025 gross gaming revenue, up $2.3 billion from the prior year, based on audited financial statements from 545 gaming establishments operated by 246 tribes in 29 states.
On Capitol Hill, the Senate Indian Affairs Committee’s nominations page shows Patrice H. Kunesh was nominated for NIGC chair on July 23, 2024, and that a later nomination for John Simermeyer was withdrawn on June 16, 2025.
The practical effect is that tribes and operators seeking NIGC action may face delays until a chair is in place, while the commission continues working with a narrower set of authorities.
By the numbers
- $46.2 billion - NIGC-reported fiscal 2025 gross gaming revenue for tribal gaming
- 545 - gaming establishments included in the NIGC tally
- 246 tribes - operators in 29 states
What's next: The key unknown is when the White House and Senate will move a new chair nomination through confirmation.