Washington Tribes Celebrate 20 Years of Machine Style Gaming in Pacific NW

Twenty years ago, Appendix X brought the Tribal Lottery System and machine-style gaming to Washington. Tribes will celebrate the positive community, economic, environmental and cultural benefits of tribal gaming to both tribal and non-tribal communities at this year’s Northwest Indian Gaming Conference & Expo. The conference will be held June 17-19 at the Tulalip Resort Casino.

“Through a mutually agreed friendly lawsuit between the State and the Tribes, a new electronic gaming system for tribal operation in Washington (Appendix X) enabled tribal governments to transform and improve the quality of lives and communities across the state. It has created economic development and employment and facilitated community investments and the building of a self-reliant future,” said W. Ron Allen, Chairman of WIGA and Chairman of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe.

More than 500 people from throughout the western U.S. are expected to attend the trade show and conference which tees off at 10 a.m. June 17 with a charity golf tournament that benefits the WIGA College Scholarship Program. The welcome reception is at 6 p.m. at Tulalip Resort Casino, and conference breakout sessions span the next two days. Participants will have an opportunity to attend more than 20 panel discussions on current issues related to Indian gaming and to visit with over 100 exhibitors showcasing new products and services.

Attendees will learn about the latest gaming technology, regulations, management solutions and current political issues that impact Tribal gaming. Panel discussion topics include sports betting, enterprise diversification and addressing problem gambling. Learn more at www.washingtonindiangaming.org/expo/.

WIGA is a trade association that represents 26 of the 29 the tribes in Washington State that participate in tribal government gaming.  Revenue generated from gaming is used to pay for tribal government programs and services including health care, education, housing, public safety, infrastructure, environmental programs, natural resources and cultural programs.

Source: Washington Indian Gaming Association