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Achieving Customer Loyalty In The Digital Age
Providing Personalized Experiences & Continuous Innovation
The digital marketing profession is an impressive innovation for achieving customer loyalty. Its far-reaching effects can easily traverse the globe and procure loyalty among customers without the need for traditional methods like billboards, posters, flyers, and even word of mouth. So how do you achieve customer loyalty in the digital age?
You can achieve customer loyalty in the digital age by understanding the concepts of real & perceived value, maintaining core values & added value, understanding customer loyalties, and personalizing customer experiences with innovative technologies like VR, AR, Virtual Tours, and the Metaverse.
Customer loyalty is ultimately about trust, and there are several strategies you can employ to achieve customer satisfaction. We'll cover the desirable core and added values to your product, different determinants of customer loyalty, and the tools necessary to maintain this customer loyalty.
How Do You Earn Customer Loyalty In The Digital Age?
While not all customers are the same, their desire to satisfy a particular need is a universal experience and the process of meeting these needs can be enhanced with technology and digitization.
Factors such as real and perceived value for your product, the core values of your brand, and the added values that make your product appealing are essential to achieving and fostering customer loyalty.
Customer loyalty comes in different forms, so in this post we will discuss how and why customers become loyal to your product or service.
The Importance Of Real And Perceived Value
Actual value of your product refers to the cost to produce and the profit and how useful it will be to your customer. Perceived value refers to how useful customers perceive your product to be and how much they will pay for your product.
Actual Value
Product Cost
When marketing and selling products, the actual and perceived value of your products can be very different.
The actual value of your product or service refers to the cost of that product or service to sell it for a profit. If you were to manufacture a product and leave it blank without a brand name or assurance that it carries a mark of quality, the actual value would equate to how much people will pay for it in the open market.
The sum of the actual value will derive from the number that customers place on it while disregarding the expectations of the customer and seller.
Perceived Value
Customer POV
Perceived value refers to how much the customer believes the product is worth. The final number comes from the opinion in the market as a whole and the benefits or the customer believes they will receive when they purchase your product. It is perceived value that we are most interested in as marketers and business owners.
If customers are excited about the product, it is possible to sell it for much more than its manufacturing cost. On the other hand, a product that garners disdain because of specific adverse side effects or destructive tendencies can dip below the actual value and cost of production.
Branding is a significant value proposition when it comes to customer satisfaction. Brands garner customer loyalty through perceived value by letting customers know they can expect the same level of excellent quality from their purchase as they can from all other previous purchases.
It's for this reason that brands like Kelly Wearstler, Molteni&Co, and Armani Home can continue to sell their products for thousands of dollars and have returning customers. Innovative technology aims to keep these customers interested over the course of time, reinventing their shopping experience to maintain their brand loyalty.
It's common for customers to buy products to beat the competition and own the most beautiful, exotic, or expensive furniture collection. It elevates their social status and gives them a sense of pride within their social spheres of influence. When customers have a high perceived value of furniture or interior design goods, and their social circle knows it, they naturally rise to the top, becoming responsible for hosting dinner parties and other social events.
Economist Adam Smith proved this point when he explained that customers purchase luxury goods for their aesthetic and practical pleasures, but largely also because they bolster their social status. Founding father of the school institutional economics, Thorstein Veblen, wrote "The Theory of the Leisure Class, which discusses the concept of conspicuous consumption". It explains consumer practices of buying and utilizing high-quality goods in significant quantities despite their practical use or price tags.
Achieve Customer Loyalty With Core And Added Values
Core values and added values relay your intentions as a business and make customers more emotionally involved with your company and product. When it's time to communicate your product to a customer or client, it's vital to demonstrate the standards you set for yourself. By adhering to the core values that give your company purpose, customers will find it easier to trust you with their desired product.
What might be a core value for one company may not necessarily be the same for another. There are usually several ways to be successful; some strategies take longer, while others are much shorter. Here are some great core values to establish as a brand looking to dominate in the digital age:
Digitalization & Technology
Tell Success Stories
Analyzing can reveal many strengths and weaknesses of your product, and it will ultimately determine the success of your product. Use digital tools to your advantage to collect and acquire this data to benefit your company.
Buyer Personas
Identify Customers Needs First
While a business exists to make a profit, how will you make your product desirable when you don't know what the customer wants? Spend time understanding your customer and how you can best serve them.
Sales strategy
Understand Why and clarify the What
When you can grasp the reasons behind your decisions (thanks to data), it will make it much easier to establish what you should do next to help your product expand.
Positive and Progressive
Energizing your team and fostering growth in a positive way, will move you towards your goals as a company. Encourage members to discover new technologies and tools to diversify your operations.
Added Value
Added value is when you add features to your product that enhance its utility during the production stages. These changes are potent enough to sway customers into choosing your product over the competition. Coupled with quality service and attention to detail, this added value will quickly build up your brand.
Adding features that make your product more convenient and easier to update, as well as offering an open support line, will significantly improve its perceived product value for the customer.
If you own a furniture business, consider including free cushion cases, complimentary furniture cleaner or discounts on future purchases or repairs. These additives will enhance the customer experience and greatly improve customer satisfaction, because it is clear that you are going above and beyond to meet their needs.
Customer Loyalty In Personalization, Experience & Innovation
An essential part of achieving customer loyalty is personalizing one's shopping experience with the help of innovative technologies and offering them something that they want (or didn't know that they needed). You can leverage customer experience as a loyalty tool when you take the proper steps.
Stay Connected With Us!
Innovative Reward Programs Create A Personalized Experience
Too many companies need a more complete understanding of innovation, particularly regarding rewarding programs.
Many businesses see rewards programs as quick, temporary solutions to entice new or existing customers to try their product. These methods seek to catch a customer on a bad day, hoping they will buy a product due to a lapse in judgment or during a weak moment. This method is hit-and-miss and does nothing to build a long-lasting relationship and base of loyalty with the customer. It procures only a tiny percentage of the product's value.
If you want loyal customers, your design philosophy must include loyalty. A well-designed reward program can accelerate the process of gaining new loyal customers. You must employ methods that return value to customers proportional to the value that their loyalty adds to your business.
How Do You Use Innovation To Enhance Customer Experience?
Some leading companies incorporate loyalty programs based on profiling their favorite products, thereby increasing their profits by 10%.
Small neighborhood businesses and merchants know how to employ a successful reward program well. They make it their business to know their best customers personally and provide them with personalized services unavailable to other customers. The truth is, some individual customers are more profitable than the masses because they equate to a large part of your revenue stream.
They might notify them when rare and valuable merchandise arrives so they get the first pick or offer them complimentary food and beverages. They understand that adding value to customers who add value to your business will reap its own benefits. These same customers will become your most valuable customers in the future.
Companies that grow exponentially larger lose their ability to pinpoint their most valuable customers.Customer service employees, together with high sales numbers, can complicate things further. These large companies treat new and long-term customers equally and, in doing so, provide an average service or product to all customers.
This results in big companies wasting resources on efforts to please customers who spend less while repeatedly disappointing loyal customers who spend a lot more. Given enough time, loyal customers who expect a higher quality service will look elsewhere for a more attractive option, and customers who pay less will remain and reduce the overall revenue of your business.
Customer Loyalties May Exist For Different Reasons
Customers might become loyal due to low prices, convenience, free add-ons, or a high-quality offer.
Customer loyalty may look different for certain customers, depending on the type of benefits they receive from your product. While a customer might remain faithful for various reasons, this loyalty indicates a continuously evolving emotional interaction between you and your customer.
The result manifests in how much more willing customers are to engage with your product or service than they are with your competitors products. Here are value propositions on how to personalize experiences for a variety of customers:
Social Status
An increase in social status from owning a certain product is veryappealing to many buyers. The idiom keeping up with the Joneses exists because the desire to be at the top of the social ladder can be fierce. Implementing this attribute into your product will become an important determinant of your costomers loyalty to you as a business.
Products Quality
The trusted and true method for building customer loyalty, is having a great product. It works as promised and lasts for some time after purchasing. Most customers do not demand a lot; all they wish for is a quality product capable of satisfying a need. If you can consistently deliver a quality product, customers will be more likely to return.
Positive Purchasing Experience
Did you ever buy a product or service that required you to crawl through too many hoops and maybe over broken glass? There's a good chance you did not return a second time. They care little for price, focusing mainly on convenience and ease of the purchasing process.If customers had the choice between a good product that required you to sift through five or six web pages to purchase, as opposed to an average product that was available with a single click, you could opt for the average product. Factors like transport, packaging, customer service, and money-back guarantees are essential to customers and create a positive purchasing experience.
Low Price Tag
Price-sensitive customers will shop for the most affordable price range for their desired product. They will likely look to others to fulfill their needs if they find a cheaper alternative. When your price becomes the best value for their money, they will return once more. Maintaining such a customer is simple, but shifting your prices too much could cost you in the long run.
It is possible to grab customers' attention with your product's additional features rather than the product itself. It may be that a purchase will grant them free Wifi, an upgraded service, or a discount on something else that is more desirable to them.
Quality Package
When you combine all the above services that appeal to customers, you will gain true customers who return because their experience is always positive. They enjoy recommending your product to colleagues, friends, and family and will give it a five-star review.
Which Technologies Can Improve Perceived Value?
Configurator, Augmented Reality (AR), Influencers on social media, Virtual Reality (VR), High price tags, Metaverse, and Virtual Tours are excellent technologies for customer loyalty and satisfaction.
The most Advanced and Efficient tool
The configurator is the most advanced and efficient tool to manage your product. It utilizes an automated configuration that quickly analyzes and determines a product's best attributes and features.
It's easy to set up and allows you to offer several versions of products you regularly manufacture and sell. The level of flexibility is especially useful for complex products that may have a few hundred or thousand configurable options.
One of its most appealing features is inputting far less data while greatly improving order accuracy. If your business produces and sells office furniture with a lovely conference room package, a configurator will allow you to create all the necessary components and options for the package at once.
This process immensely improves the perceived value for the customer and will simplify the purchasing process. Customers always appreciate customizable options, and they work wonders to enhance sales and help your product reach as many customers as possible.
The configurator also makes it easy for businesses to collect data, which shows consumer insights about certain products. This information can tell designers how to modify existing products to meet specific demands from consumers.Configurators are quickly becoming popular, so much so that they earned the name sales configurator due to their proven record of success.
Explore our configurators page!
Augmented Reality
A Brilliant Sales Strategy
Augmented reality is a brilliant sales strategy that allows you to give your customers the experience of trying your product before purchasing it. It's a convenient process that requires only a mobile phone; in return, your customers will receive a realistic and practical shopping experience.With this technology, your customers can test-drive one of the cars on your showroom floor before purchasing.
Virtual Reality
Virtual Experience
VR marketing mimics a physical experience in a digital world to benefit their curiosity while you get to promote your product and brand. VR is also an excellent tool for updating your customers on your newest products and offers and keeping them invested from manufacturing to the start of their shelf life. You also gain valuable insight from the feedback provided by the customers.
The Future
The Metaverse gives you the power to create a virtual world to showcase your brand's features and best qualities. This method stands above traditional methods like videos and images, focusing only on visual appeal. The impact of the metaverse on the customer depends solely on the creative nature of your created world. You must be very specific and intentional with what you put into the customer's metaverse experience.Old-school marketing strategies are fiercely competitive, but the Metaverse allows you to customize your advertising to cover all your bases.
Virtual Tour
Show & Sell
Virtual Tour allows you to showcase your business, whether a retail store, gym or Airbnb, to engage with customers who desire your product or service.
Virtual Tours have an impressive reputation for success, with the following statistics:
- – 67% of customers prefer viewing virtual tours.
- – Of the adult users who conduct research online or want to make essential decisions, 50 %rely on virtual tours for accuracy.
- – Customers 18 – 34 years old with access to a virtual tour are 130 % more likely to book accommodation.
- – Customers can spend up to ten times more money on websites that have virtual tours.
It's wise to utilize your virtual tours on advertisements, newsletters, social media, and Google My Business.
Understanding the actual and perceived value of your products will help you understand how to best market and price your product. Adhering to your core values and creating additional value to your product will please your customers and increase brand loyalty. It's essential to provide a personalized experience by utilizing advanced technologies like VR, AR, and virtual tours. These bring your customers to you rather than redirecting them away from unengaging ads, images, or videos. Taking advantage of innovative technologies will set you a part from competitors, making you a leader in your respective industry.
Francesca Dattilo
A designer by training, I have been working on communications and marketing for In2real since 2019. You can engage with me and my team to identify your company's needs and define the right strategy.


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The Alpine Goat, known for its remarkable adaptability and majestic appearance, is a popular breed among farmers and animal enthusiasts alike. Originating from the French Alps, these goats have spread across the globe due to their hardiness and versatility. In this article, we will delve into the captivating world of Alpine Goats, exploring their classification, appearance, habitat, behavior, and more. By the end, you'll gain a comprehensive understanding of these impressive creatures.
Alpine Goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) belong to the domesticated goat species, which has been selectively bred for thousands of years. They are part of the Bovidae family, commonly referred to as the goat family, and their unique characteristics make them distinct from other goat breeds.
Quick Facts
- Origin: French Alps
- Size: Medium to Large
- Coat: Short, dense, and varied in colors
- Horns: Both males and females have twisted horns
- Adaptability: Thrive in diverse climates and terrains
- Milk Production: Excellent milk yield for cheese and other dairy products
- Temperament: Friendly, docile, and intelligent
The Alpine Goat boasts a captivating appearance characterized by a sturdy frame and an alert expression. These medium to large-sized goats stand tall with a well-muscled body. Their short, dense coat can vary in colors, such as pure white, black, gray, or a combination of these hues. The breed is also known for its distinct facial markings, including a dark stripe down the center of the face, known as a "blaze," and spots above their eyes.
Distribution and Habitat
Originally hailing from the French Alps, Alpine Goats have been introduced to various regions worldwide due to their ability to adapt to different climates and landscapes. They are particularly well-suited for mountainous terrains, rugged landscapes, and harsh environments. As a testament to their adaptability, Alpine Goats thrive in regions with both hot summers and bitterly cold winters. Their hardy nature has made them valuable assets to farmers in diverse geographical areas.
Biology of the Alpine Goat
Alpine Goats exhibit intriguing biological features that contribute to their robustness and adaptability. Their digestive system is capable of efficiently converting low-quality forage into nourishment, making them ideal for grazing in challenging terrains where food resources might be limited. Additionally, their muscular bodies enable them to climb steep inclines and explore rocky terrains with ease.
The Alpine Goat is known for its friendly and docile temperament, making them ideal for both commercial and companion purposes. Their intelligence and ability to establish bonds with humans have made them popular among farmers and pet owners alike. Alpine Goats are social animals, and they thrive in herds where they can interact and engage in playful behaviors. Due to their friendly demeanor, they are relatively easy to handle, making them suitable for goat enthusiasts of all ages.
Alpine goat Diet
The Alpine Goat is a herbivorous creature with a diverse diet that primarily consists of grass, shrubs, leaves, and forbs. Their ability to consume a wide range of vegetation contributes to their adaptability to various environments. Proper nutrition is essential for maintaining the health and productivity of Alpine Goats, especially those raised for dairy purposes. Farmers often supplement their diet with additional nutrients to ensure optimal milk production.
Alpine goat Life Span
With proper care and nutrition, Alpine Goats have a life expectancy of around 12 to 15 years. However, many goats live well beyond this range, depending on their overall health and living conditions.
Alpine goat Reproduction
The reproductive cycle of Alpine Goats, like other domesticated goats, is seasonal, with most females going into estrus during the fall season. This period, commonly known as "breeding season," typically lasts for several months, allowing farmers to plan and manage the breeding of their goats. A female Alpine Goat, known as a "doe," usually carries her pregnancy for about five months before giving birth to one to four kids. Kids are born precocial, meaning they are born with their eyes open and are quick to stand and nurse. Farmers provide essential care and nutrition to both the does and kids during this crucial period.
Relationship with Humans
Alpine Goats have formed a symbiotic relationship with humans, dating back thousands of years. Initially domesticated for their milk and meat, these goats have now become companions and contributors to the agricultural industry. Their friendly temperament and versatility make them well-suited for a variety of roles, including dairy production, brush clearing, and even therapy animals in some cases. Alpine Goats continue to win the hearts of farmers, hobbyists, and nature enthusiasts worldwide.
Alpine goat Predators
As highly adaptable animals, Alpine Goats have developed several defense mechanisms against potential predators. In their natural habitat, they face threats from predators such as wolves, coyotes, and large birds of prey. To protect themselves, Alpine Goats use their agility and speed to escape from danger. Additionally, their strong horns serve as a deterrent, enabling them to fend off attackers if necessary.
Read more:ALDABRA GIANT TORTOISE – MAJESTIC GIANTS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN
In conclusion, the Alpine Goat stands as a testament to the harmonious relationship between humans and animals. With its adaptability, intelligence, and friendly demeanor, this majestic breed has charmed its way into the hearts of people worldwide. From its captivating appearance to its remarkable capacity to thrive in diverse environments, the Alpine Goat continues to be a valued and versatile companion to farmers, nature enthusiasts, and pet owners alike. Whether they are producing high-quality milk, helping with land maintenance, or simply bringing joy to those around them, these remarkable goats leave a lasting impression on all who have the pleasure of interacting with them.
Are Alpine Goats suitable for novice farmers?
Alpine Goats are known for their friendly and docile nature, making them a great choice for novice farmers. With proper care and attention, they can thrive in a variety of environments and are relatively easy to handle.
What is the average milk yield of an Alpine Goat?
The average milk yield of an Alpine Goat ranges from 2 to 3 liters per day. However, some well-nourished does can produce even more milk during their lactation period.
Can Alpine Goats be kept as pets?
Yes, Alpine Goats can make wonderful pets due to their friendly and sociable nature. However, potential pet owners should ensure they have enough space and time to meet the goats' needs.
How often should Alpine Goats be vaccinated?
Farmers and pet owners should consult with a veterinarian to determine the appropriate vaccination schedule for their Alpine Goats. Generally, routine vaccinations are administered annually to protect against common diseases.
Fakir is a writer at Animal Planetory. Academically, he holds a Bachelor's degree in Zoology. He has a deep interest in wildlife and spends most of his time observing birds in Himalayas.

subset: commoncrawl


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The National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) is a tax exempt corporation under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(6). Although ruled tax exempt, this does not make NIGA a "charity" and thus contributions to the organization are not always deductible by the donor as a charitable contribution for federal Income Tax purposes. NIGA was founded in 1985 and incorporated in the District of Columbia in 1993.
MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) is to protect and preserve the general welfare of the Tribes striving for self-sufficiency through gaming enterprises in Indian Country. To fulfill its mission, NIGA works with the federal government and Congress to develop sound policies and practices and to provide technical assistance and advocacy on gaming related issues. In addition, NIGA seeks to maintain and protect Indian sovereign governmental authority in Indian Country.
Chairman's Report
Vice Chairman's Report
Treasurer's Report
Secretary's Report
Executive Director's Report
Board of Directors 2016
Staff Matrix 2017
Nationwide Impacts of Indian Gaming
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT ERNEST L. STEVENS, JR. Oneida Nation of Wisconsin
T he state of the Indian Gaming Industry is strong and we should all take great pride in the strides we have made together over the past forty years. Not only have we become the nationwide industry leader in growth year over year since the great recession, we now represent the largest segment of the overall gaming industry in the United States. According to Nathan Associates Casino City's Indian Gaming Industry Report of 2017 Indian Tribal Government Gaming represents 44.3% of the gaming market—while commercial casinos represent 43.3% of the market and racino's represent 12.4% of the national casino market. There can be no doubt that Tribal Government Gaming has made the most out of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), which turns thirty years old on October 18th of this year. Although IGRA was a compromise, the significant benefits that Indian gaming revenues have provided to Native communities and tribal governments over these past thirty years is phenomenal. With that said, NIGA will continue to push for a Seminole fix to restore balance to the Tribal/State compacting process, to ensure that the economic benefits of Tribal Government Gaming go back to our Tribal communities to promote tribal economic development, tribal self-sufficiency, and strong tribal governments. This is not rhetoric, and I consider my job not done until this task is complete. The White House Transition Plan/115th Congress NIGA has continued our outreach and education efforts with the new Administration, following up on the Transition Plan we submitted in January of 2017 and pursuit of our legislative and regulatory priorities. Through our Winter and Summer Legislative Summits, we've also continued to educate key Members of Congress and work with our champions to strengthen tribal sovereignty. We have also continued to strengthen alliances with the national and regional native organizations. Throughout the year, NIGA worked to ensure that the voice of our Member
Tribes are heard voice is at key congressional hearings, listening sessions, and government-to-government consultations. Despite our consistent outreach and education, progress with the new Administration has been slow and frustrating to say the least. Throughout 2017, all of Indian Country united in the push to include Indian Country in national tax reform efforts. NIGA hosted more than a half dozen meetings at our Stanley R. Crooks Tribal Leaders Conference Center to press policy makers to amend the U.S. Tax Code to provide Indian tribes with all the tools, tax incentives and tax credits for economic development that are made available to state and territorial governments. Tribes and tribal organizations nationwide expressed great disappointment in the failure of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to make any progress on this and many other tribal tax priorities. NIGA will continue work on behalf of our Member Tribes and all of Indian Country to break down barriers to economic development in Indian Country and to amend federal laws to acknowledge the constitutional status of Indian tribes as distinct governments. We will raise awareness to the more than $50 billion in unmet needs to rebuild Indian Country's neglected infrastructure, and for potential legislation to advance economic development and commerce in Indian Country. We will continue to push our legislative agenda and remain optimistic that this administration and congress will stay true to their words that, "Tribal Sovereignty should mean something" and that self-determination unites all Indian Tribes and this administration. We will continue to work with them to ensure our communities continue to make strides that improve the quality of life for our members and our neighbors. NIGA's Legislative Agenda We continue to advance our legislative and policy agenda with the Administration and the 115th Congress. Items that we continue to educate, advance and promote include: protection of existing rights to conduct gaming under IGRA and opposition to amendments to that Act; passage of the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act; ensuring fairness for Indian tribes as governments in any federal iGaming legislation; reversing the Supreme Court's attack in Carcieri and restoring tribal homelands; fully implementing the Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act; ending Dual Taxation; advancing updates to the Indian Trader Regulations; eliminating the essential governmental function test for bonding and pension plans while working to bring parity in the treatment of Indian tribes as governments for federal tax laws and tax credit programs; and further developing and diversifying tribal economies. NIGA learned early last week that the Senate is scheduling a vote on the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act next week. It is imperative that all Tribes press their Senators for this floor vote. This Act will amend the National Labor Relations Act to restore Tribal Governments as sovereign entities, just as U.S. Territories and possessions (States) and the District of Columbia are recognized. This will provide parity for Tribal Governments and the government revenue generated by them to provide essential programs and services to reservation residents. We have an opportunity to bring this twelve year issue to closure for once and for all. Please take time out of your schedule this week to call, email and contact your Senators to encourage their vote for cloture on S63.
Class II Gaming Subcommittee NIGA's Class II Gaming Subcommittee has accomplished some outstanding work this year. They were able to track and monitor the National Indian Gaming Commission's (NIGC) Consultation Process regarding Class II Gaming Systems and other related regulatory issues. The Subcommittee kept our Member Tribes abreast of the issues, provided an analysis of the impacts, and recommended comments, input and participation throughout this year long process. As a result of this work, on December 27, 2017, the NIGC published a final rule eliminating the sunset provision requiring Tribes to remove "non-compliant" Class II gaming systems manufactured before November 10, 2008 (2008 Systems) from the gaming floor. 2008 Systems are now subject to annual review and testing. The NIGC's issuance of this final rule concludes a multi-year process in a way that ensures the integrity and security of Class II gaming while not disrupting the significant economic benefits Tribes receive from these 2008 Systems. The effective date of the amended regulation is January 26, 2018. The new rule transforms the treatment of 2008 Systems from being treated as an exception to compliant gaming systems, to being treated as an alternative set of gaming system. This new process requires Tribal Gaming Regulatory Agencies (TGRAs) to annually review and assess each 2008 System operating within its jurisdiction for compliance with the minimum technical standards. The new provision requires TGRAs to not only identify specific Class II gaming systems not conforming to these standards, but to also enumerate all components of each system that functionally prevent compliance with NIGC regulations. According to the NIGC, this will aid TGRAs in determining whether the modification will maintain the system's compliance or advance the system's compliance with the standards for newer systems. This is a great example of our industry working with Administrative officials to reach solutions that safeguard the integrity of Indian gaming systems and protect both the gaming public and the gaming operation. The NIGC recently announced a new round of consultations on new regulatory issues and our Gaming Sub- Committee will continue to monitor those discussions as well as promote the many benefits that Class II gaming brings to Tribal Government Gaming. Sports Betting Working Group & Emerging Gaming Opportunities Enacted in 1992, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) prohibits tribal and state governments from enacting laws or entering into compacts to legalize sports betting. On December 4, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a challenge to the constitutionality of that law. A decision is expected any day. With the potential to lift the federal ban against sports betting in the United States, NIGA established its Sports Betting Working Group, which has gathered information, researched and identified possible impacts on brick and mortar Indian Gaming operations, as well as other related issues in this critical discussion.
While the average margin of a sports book is 5%, the activity is an amenity that draws an additional customer base that could prove crucial in the current highly competitive gaming environment. To further complicate the issue, Internet sports gaming will likely enter the policy debate, in order to enhance the economic viability of the activity. Internet gaming adds several elements to the debate, including Social iGaming, Internet Skill Dominant Gaming, Mobile Casino Gambling, Internet Casino Gambling, Daily Fantasy Sports, among others. The Indian Gaming regulatory community has also been engaging in discussions to prepare for the potential new evolution of games. NIGA Sports Betting Working Group held four regional meetings to gather input from our membership about sports betting. From the feedback provided throughout this debate, NIGA's Board of Directors is working to finalize a policy position on federal legislative efforts to amend PASPA. In addition, we must prepare our Member Tribes for several possible outcomes of the Supreme Court case: PASPA is upheld (status quo), overturned as unconstitutional (free for all for states and Tribes), or partial repeal (which could result in a Tribal-only Prohibition). We have the foundation for these discussions in place with the NIGA Internet Gaming Principles, which were established in 2011. These principles are directives from our leadership, and are grounded in NIGA's overall mission to protect and preserve tribal sovereignty and the respect for Indian tribes as governments. Tribal Government Gaming Expanding Worldwide NIGA has participated in the International Casino Exhibition (ICE) since 2014, educating the world gaming market about the Indian Gaming industry. Having been in the industry for forty years, Indian Gaming is now taking steps to use our expertise in markets beyond the United States. ICE is the largest gaming tradeshow in the world and offers venues for Governmental Representatives, regulators, operators and vendors. Many governmental entities from around the world that are considering offering gaming in their jurisdictions attend the conference in search of potential partners. With this initiative also come opportunities for furthering Tribal Tourism in the United States and abroad. NIGA will continue to forge relationships at ICE and elsewhere to expand economic opportunities for our Member Tribes and all of Indian Country. Domestic and International Trade and Business Development One of the primary goals of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act is to promote Tribal economic development and self-sufficiency. While Indian gaming revenues are helping some Tribal Nations improve their economies, more must be done to break down barriers to economic development on Indian lands. NIGA has advocated for needed legislative changes through tax reform, improvements to Indian Country infrastructure, and tribal commerce initiatives. The Department of the Interior conducted a number of Listening Sessions in 2017 to build the case for economic development in Indian Country and gather information to update the Indian Trader Statute and regulations. NIGA will continue to press this Administration to finalize this work. We will also continue to forge these discussions on the international level where we have engaged with the British Parliament to explore potential economic development endeavors, and with the U.S. Embassy in Great Britain, where we had our first discussion this year in collaboration with the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development. We will be gathering data, researching and preparing for a follow-up discussion in 2019.
NIGA Associate Members NIGA's Associate Members have and continue to do an exemplary job in furthering and advancing our goals to develop sound policies and practices for the conduct of gaming on Indian Lands, provide technical assistance for our industry, and generally work to help preserve and protect the integrity of Indian Gaming. Our Associate Members are a vital part of the Indian Gaming industry and we extend our appreciation to all those who have stepped up and assisted in furthering our mission through their participation, offering of their expertise, engaging in the development of emerging gaming opportunities, and contributing through sponsorships. A special thanks goes out to those who have made contributions to offset the NIGA Building Fund/mortgage to help retire our debt to enable us to focus our resources on mission critical policy activities. NIGA strives to enhance the exposure of our Associate Members, providing access and visibility through our annual Tradeshow, our Mid-Year Meeting, bi-annual legislative summits, G2E Indian Gaming Track, Regional Association Events and other opportunities. The influence of our Associate Members continues to flourish in our industry. Whether it is the hard work done at this year's tradeshow all the way to winter and summer legislative summits and everywhere in between, Associate Members have stepped up to support the Leadership in Indian Country that drives this Association. NIGA Certified Seminar Institute I want to highlight our Seminar Institute, which is led by our Deputy Director, Danielle Her Many Horses, our esteemed partner, Elizabeth Homer of Homer Law and Zion Enterprises, LLC. Of course the Institute would not be the success it is without our partners and professionals from around Indian Country and Indian Gaming that make special appearances for specialized training topics. Our Institute has Levels I, II & III in addition to our Masters Level Training. Trainings are offered every month and we try to reach out to as many regional locations as is possible. NIGA is proud of its ongoing training and certification institute, which works to assist tribal gaming regulators and operators with the technical assistance they need to continue to protect the integrity of Indian Gaming around the country. With the experience and education the participants possess oftentimes they are the teachers as well. Overall the seminar institute combines great professionals with outstanding and experienced students which equal a great learning environment for all. Collaboration with the American Gaming Association I applaud our Board of Directors for your guidance and support in our collaboration with the American Gaming Association (AGA). Our joint efforts have not only brought improvements to the gaming industry overall, they have enhanced our working relationship and understanding of one another's mission and vision. We worked together to successfully push back against the IRS slot win reporting threshold proposal, increase awareness of the anti-money laundering efforts put forth by FinCEN, raise awareness and education on human trafficking, promote responsible gambling, educate the industry on security threat preparations and the current debate on sports betting, and overall education at G2E and ICE. A new initiative that will be rolled out this week is a joint roundtable for tribal and commercial regulators. The National Tribal Gaming Commissioners/Regulators, the Tribal Gaming Protection Network and the Tribal Alliance will all participate in this event. It is our hope that "best practices" for regulating emerging gaming technology for the entire gaming industry can be outlined and
developed through this effort. A more recent joint effort with AGA that is underway is the Responsible Gaming Collaborative. This effort will seek to identify effective policies and regulations that have worked to prevent problem gambling and position the industry to champion these programs. As was stated in a recent joint press statement of NIGA and AGA, "We've learned through collaboration that serving our members and working together are not mutually exclusive activities – we can, in fact, do both. Collaborating means seeking opportunities to work together when we can and respecting that there are times when we cannot." Educating the Public about Indian Gaming The November 2016 election ushered in an entirely new Administration with hundreds of new political appointees as well as 52 new House Members and 7 new U.S. Senators. As a result, NIGA increased our education efforts to all policy makers in Washington, D.C. Many of the new administrative officials and new Members of Congress have never been to Indian Country or met with tribal leaders, and they needed the Tribal Sovereignty and Indian Gaming 101 presentation. We will continue to educate the members of the Administration and Congress about the U.S. Constitution that each of them swore an oath to uphold—along with its recognition of Indian tribes as separate, distinct sovereigns in our federalist system. We will inform them of the federal government's solemn treaty and trust obligations to Indian Country. With regard to Indian gaming, we will remind federal officials that Indian gaming is an act of tribal government self-determination. While IGRA imposed certain federal legal limits on tribal governments, more than 240 Tribal Nations have made the law work to benefit their communities. More must be done to bring parity and respect for the governmental status of Indian tribes, and NIGA will continue to press for our legislative priorities. Finally, NIGA also continues to provide articles each month for publications that educate the general public about our industry and our policy endeavors as well as engage in public forums that provide avenues for educating the public about Tribal Sovereignty, Tribal Government Gaming and the benefits that Tribal Gaming brings to this country, to the States we reside in and to our local community neighbors. At this stage in history it is so vitally important that NIGA, led by our member Tribes, take on the task of educating our folks in Washington, D.C. While this is a challenging time in the nation's capital we have been there before and we will step up to the challenge. Conclusion With nearly 7,000 attendees, the National Indian Gaming Association celebrated another record breaking year at our 2017 annual Convention and Tradeshow. It was our biggest show ever, and we anticipate exceeding that again this year, here in Las Vegas. As we continue to grow our show, we build on our success and broaden our reach to an even larger audience. Next year, we will be back in San Diego, in the heart of Indian Country where we've had so much success in the past. Our segment of the industry is gaining in popularity and growth and the credit for this success goes out to each and every one of our Member Tribal Nations, our Leadership and our phenomenal professionals and experts that make up the Tribal Government Gaming industry. We're off to a great start in 2018. Working together, we will build on the energy you all bring to this Convention and continue our work with Congress and the Administration to strengthen our Industry and expand the benefits of Indian gaming to all of Indian Country.
VICE-CHAIRMAN'S REPORT DAVID Z BEAN Puyallup Tribe of Indians
G reetings and thank you for taking the time to read my report. This will be my first full report since taking the Vice-Chairman's position last spring after Kevin Leecy, Bois Forte Tribe, stepped down after 12 years. His experience and devotion to NIGA is greatly appreciated and I hope to honor his legacy. Certainly, over the past year NIGA experienced a number of changes as did all of Indian Country. In this era of political change from one party to the next, Indian Country's greatest strength remains our ability to adapt to any situation and look for new opportunities to exercise our Sovereignty and protect our Tribal Citizens. With new political leadership in Washington D.C., and a new sense of change at the Federal Agencies, NIGA focused on staying in motion on many policy fronts, seeking to avoid going backwards after eight years of hard work with the previous administration. NIGA is moving forward and pursuing new paths for legislative and regulatory policies that will strengthen Tribal Governments and Tribal self-determination. At the top of the list in 2017 and in 2018, is the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act (TLSA). Tribal Governments should not rest until we restore our recognition as governments under the National Labor Relations Act. Many in Congress understand that to be sovereign means you must have jurisdiction over your lands without exception. State Governments and U.S. Territories did not accept unionization of their employees under Federal law, and Tribal Governments were granted this same deference for over 80 years until it was taken away by regulatory decisions at the NLRB and unfortunately upheld by some Federal Circuit Courts. NIGA's outreach on TLSA has been greatly enhanced by our incredible state of the art facility steps away from Capitol Hill. NIGA is now able to reach more Congressional Representatives and Senators than ever before as our new Headquarters has established itself as a unique events location. Both political parties have utilized NIGA's conference room and we are able to host numerous fundraisers without the exorbitant costs of renting hotel space.
NIGA's congressional outreach is also focused on the Trump Administration's infrastructure plan to ensure that it will bring opportunities for Indian Country to improve their transportation systems , repair water systems, expand broad band access, and promote Tribal economic self- sufficiency. To ensure Indian Country continues to march forward on these important initiatives, I urge Tribal Nations to remain united behind our core key principles: protection of tribal sovereignty; and fostering economic activity on the reservation. I want to thank NIGA's Member Tribal Nations for your support over this past year. I look forward to continue my work with the NIGA Board of Directors, Tribal and Associate Members, and all of Indian Country as we face our challenges in 2018. My message as Vice-Chairman will remain the same, "Stay in motion…Forward Motion." I hope we can continue to work together and protect Indian Gaming and all Tribal industries for the betterment of our generations to come. "United," Indian Country can confront any challenge and embrace every opportunity, while always moving forward. For many years the US government made decisions for Indian Tribes, and it was not until the era of Self-Determination that we were able to flourish by making decisions that were best for our own communities. With this Congress, we will have the opportunity to push forward the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act to restore the recognition of tribes as governments to set their own labor laws under the National Labor Relations Act. The infrastructure plan will bring opportunities for Indian Country to improve their transportation systems to foster economic growth, to repair water systems, and to expand energy developments on Indian lands to promote economic self-sufficiency. The Administration, through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, has begun the consultation process to update the Indian Trader Statutes, which must be amended to prevent dual taxation in Indian Country and will open the door to more development, especially when coupled with the infrastructure plans. To accomplish this, we, as individual nations, must remain united behind key principles: protection of tribal sovereignty and self-determination, and advancing policies that promote economic self-sufficiency. With many new faces in Washington, we have to educate our new Administrative officials, Congresspeople, and Senators on our unique relationship with the US Government and our issues. I want to thank the member tribes for your support over these past years to the NIGA organization, and to me as your Vice Chairman. I look forward to continue working with the NIGA Board of Directors, Tribal and Associate Memberships, and all of you as we face the challenges in the upcoming years and work together to protect and grow Indian Gaming that we have already fostered into a $30 billion industry. If we stand united, we will fight off any threat and embrace every opportunity.
TREASURER'S REPORT ANDY EBONA Douglas Village
I t is my honor and privilege to provide you with NIGA's 2017 Financial Report. As Treasurer of the National Indian Gaming Association, my primary duty is to ensure the long-term fiscal health of the Association. Part of fulfilling this duty is conducting the annual audit with Joseph Eve, LLC (now renamed WIPFLi). In March of this year, WIPFLi conducted their audit of NIGA's 2017 financials and I am pleased to report that NIGA received a "non-qualified" opinion from the auditors. This represents the sixteenth straight year that NIGA's financial records and statements are in accordance with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), without exceptions. As a long-time NIGA Board Member, the past three Fiscal Years have been some of the toughest we've encountered at NIGA. In 2016, we completed construction on the $4.2 million Building Expansion. With a brand new building comes brand new expenses and outlays. I'm pleased to report that NIGA has met these challenges and is in a strong financial position heading in to 2018.
Puyallup Tribe of Indians
$250,000 $250,000
Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians
Mashantucket Pequot Tribe
$25,000 $25,000
San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
Thank you also to VGT (an Aristocrat Company) for its $200,000 pledge over four years. NIGA's Associate members are an important component of serving our Tribal Members and we hope to see more donations from companies that benefit from Indian Gaming.
As you take time to enjoy our Tradeshow and Conference this year, please be sure to review NIGA's Annual Report and the 2017 Audit results enclosed with this report. NIGA's operating capital saw a $1.2 million reversal from 2016 and, for the third straight year, NIGA was able to cut our expenses while we settled into a new operating budget with a fully functioning 14,000 square foot office building. I will continue our hard budget work at NIGA coordinating with the NIGA Finance Committee, the Chairman, Executive Director, and the NIGA Board to meet head-on our new fiscal requirements. As of the date of this report, our Las Vegas Tradeshow is on pace to be the largest in NIGA's history - so the future is certainly looking bright. I am confident that with Indian Country's continuing participation at NIGA, we will be well- positioned to see increased growth in our Industry and with our Tribal membership. As Treasurer, I will continue to review and assess how we do business and to strengthen our commitment on behalf of Indian Country. There is always room for improvement in the way we do business and we can always stretch our capabilities with each new challenge and endeavor. As Treasurer, I owe it to our Tribal Membership to not only maintain NIGA's excellent credit rating, but to ensure the long term fiscal health of the Association. It is an honor to have a role in an organization so valued to not only to my Tlingit & Haida Indian community in Alaska, but to all of Indian country. I look forward to meeting with you in Las Vegas and hearing your suggestions on how to continue to help all Tribal Nations pursue economic self-sufficiency, care for our people, and build a future for the generations to come. I wish you much success in 2018 and look forward to our next meeting.
SECRETARY'S REPORT PAULETTE JORDAN Coeur D'Alene
G reetings to all the Tribal Leaders attending our Tradeshow in Las Vegas this year. It is a privilege to serve you as the Executive Secretary of the National Indian Gaming Association. In 2017, NIGA experienced an interesting year working with a new Administration and Congress. With new faces, there are new challenges, but NIGA's enduring commitment to Tribal Sovereignty remains steadfast. As a mother and Tribal citizen, I have witnessed the economic hurdles Tribal governments must overcome to address the shortcomings in our tribal educational, health, and administrative agencies. Gaming revenues are a vital source of investing in our communities to strengthen the governmental services provided to our citizens. I am pleased to see that in 2017, Tribal revenues grew another 1.5% and more importantly, the employment numbers in Indian gaming surpassed pre-recession levels of over 700,000 direct jobs created. In more good news, last year, I reported on renewable energy initiatives in Indian Country and how the Indian gaming industry is setting an example in this arena. Many tribal casino expansions now incorporate plans for the use of renewable energy to power their casino operations. Clean energy technology and development is one of the fastest growing sectors in the U.S. and Indian Country is poised to be on the cutting edge of this technology given our locations, the diversity of our economies, and our cultural respect for mother earth. NIGA will continue to provide leadership and discussion on exploring new ways that Tribal Governments can preserve resources and the environment by committing to bring self-sustaining economic development to our reservations. I have long believed that Tribes are connected to this land in a spiritual sense and have a responsibility
to protect and maintain access to our natural environment. Indian Country is a shining example of striking that balance between maintaining a vibrant industry and keeping our environment healthy for the continued use and enjoyment of generations to come. Again, it is my utmost privilege to serve as NIGA's Executive Secretary and I appreciate the opportunity to represent NIGA's Member Tribes in this capacity. Serving in this position has exposed me to invaluable knowledge which I am honored to share with all of our leaders throughout Indian Country. I look forward to meeting with you at this year's Tradeshow.
Hnqwi'yqwi'yilgwes khwe sk'u'lshesh. (In humble service to you all.)
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT JASON GILES Muscogee (Creek) Nation
W elcome to Las Vegas as the National Indian Gaming Association holds its first ever Tradeshow and Convention in this iconic gambling city. In 2017, NIGA completed its first full year in our brand new Headquarters on Capitol Hill. NIGA owns one of the most unique properties on in Washington, D.C. with a history befitting the development of this Country and its Indian Policies. Since NIGA opened its doors to local rental opportunities and hosting tribal organizations from throughout Indian Country, we have been forced to research the history of the building as NIGA staff responds to our guests questions about how a non-profit came to own a 220 year old building. Briefly, the newly independent United States Government began construction on the "Watterson House" shortly after the conclusion of the Revolutionary War and it was completed in 1804. NIGA's building served as the residence for the first Librarian of Congress, Mr. Watterson. During the War of 1812, NIGA's building was one of the few spared from British destruction as the Commanding General of British ground forces used the Watterson House as his headquarters. As the D.C. expanded over the centuries the Watterson House changed hands several times, but gained a place on the National Register of Historic Places. The Watterson House was all but abandoned when NIGA's pioneering founders Tim Wapato and Rick Hill impressed upon Tribal Leaders that NIGA needed an enduring presence on Capitol Hill. The three year building expansion is something that I believe Mr. Wapato would be proud to see. I again want to thank his wife, Gay Kingman, for her work in founding NIGA and the support she has engendered for the Association. The building expansion could not have happened without Tribal Leader support and certainly not without the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux's financial commitment and annual donations to NIGA. I would also like to note that in 2017, NIGA picked up three more major building sponsors with generous gifts from: Puyallup Tribe of Indians Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians VGT (an Aristocrat Company)
These donations are helping to pay down NIGA's construction mortgage debt and strengthen our operating budget. After a full year of operation, NIGA's Headquarters are now hitting its stride with strong rental income and the incredible political exposure of hosting fundraisers and conferences so close to Congressional offices. NIGA and its staff are off to what should be a great 2018 both fiscally and administratively. Please stop by NIGA's offices anytime you are in D.C. Our doors are open for Tribal Leaders to come and relax during busy Hill visits, or just to come by, grab a snack in our kitchen, and visit with myself and the staff. NIGA will soon begin renovations in the basement on what is expected to become a Tribal Leaders Lounge meant for all of Indian Country to come and use NIGA's offices while advocating on important Tribal issues. As we begin 2018, there is a lot of legislative and regulatory work ahead with regards to Tribal labor laws, gaming regulation, and protecting our Tribal Governments from severe federal budget cuts. I am proud to serve NIGA in a role that helps to bring Indian Country's voice to policy positions formulated in cooperation with all of our incredible Tribal organizations. Working with my peers in D.C. at NCAI, NACA, NIHB, NIEA, NAFOA, and others is a humbling experience. Each organization brings a unique viewpoint to the table, but not once has anyone ever lost focus on protecting Tribal Sovereignty and working to enhance Tribal self-determination. With that, I submit to you NIGA's 2017 Year in Review. 2017 Year in Review NIGA and Indian Country successfully moved the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act (TLSA) through the House of Representatives, the third year in a row House leadership has voted to restore tribal sovereignty over on reservation labor issues. Once again Indian Country owes a special "thank you" to Congressman Todd Rokita (R-IN), and of course our leaders from both sides of the aisle that took a strong stand in support of Tribal Governments. A special thank you to Congressman Tom Cole (R-OK), Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN) and Congressman Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM). Unfortunately, the TLSA again faces an uncertain future in the Senate. Indian Country has a true friend in Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) who picked up where former Senator Brownback left off, in standing up for what is right in Indian Country. Senator Moran's impassioned work on the TLSA has left a positive mark with his Party's leadership in the Senate. Indian Country is again calling on our friends from both sides of the aisle, including ranking member Senator Udall on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, to make the necessary changes to the National Labor Relations Act and protect tribal sovereignty and restore tribal government jurisdiction over their labor issues. The Future of Indian Gaming The Supreme Court's upcoming decision in Christie v. National Collegiate Athletic Association (Nos. 16-476, 16-477) stands to potentially break a new policy barrier in gaming. It will have profound implications for not only sports betting in the United States, but it stands to reason there will be renewed pushes by lotteries and states to expand internet gaming. Currently only three states have legalized internet wagering.
An expansion of gaming on this scope will certainly impact tribal casinos and the carefully crafted tribal-state compacts across the country. We are already witnessing many States take anticipatory legislative steps in the expectation that the Court will hold PASPA unconstitutional. Whatever the Supreme Court's outcome, and there are a myriad of possibilities, at worst Tribes and States would simply be in the same position as before the Christie case, while at best, Tribes and States would have the regulatory authority that Congress, through PASPA, had taken away from them. Certainly, there are a number of important issues that would remain unsettled under IGRA. Does sports betting constitute a class II or class III gaming activity under IGRA? IGRA allows tribes to engage in the same forms of gaming permitted under state law, but the scope and form of gambling becomes less clear from game to game. For example, how much of a difference is there between daily fantasy sports and individual game sports betting? Most importantly, states and tribes that have negotiated exclusivity provisions in existing compacts will need to resolve potential gray areas created by a newly authorized form of gambling. At NIGA, we are always concerned about the jurisdictional claims of State lottery officials who continue to explore expanding their operations into Internet and now sports gambling. Since a bumpy start several years ago, New Jersey, Delaware, and Nevada have reported increasing and stable internet gaming revenues as their customers become more comfortable with the platform. For NIGA and our Member Tribes, these potential new forms of gaming begin and end with their impact on tribal sovereignty. This principle has framed the Internet gaming debate in Indian Country from day one, however, not all the commercial gaming, federal, and state stakeholders consider the impacts of new gambling laws on Tribal Government's interests. Indian Gaming Economic Impact Please take a moment to review the enclosed 2017 Economic Report. Indian gaming has surpassed the pre- recession direct employment of over 700,000 direct jobs. Indian Country has done a tremendous job preserving thousands of American jobs as the Country made a slow climb back from the Great Recession. Indian Gaming's resource base helped prevent the layoffs of teachers, health care workers, fire fighters, police officers, and many other local government employees that provide essential services to children, elders, and others in the community. With the 2018 elections in front of us, we will have new faces in Congress yet again. NIGA will be there to help educate a new round of legislators about the numerous treaties, laws, and court decisions that protect tribal sovereignty. The NIGA staff and I look forward to proudly displaying how far Indian Gaming has come and the positive contributions it makes to this Country. We will continue these important policy discussions and keep Indian Country and tribal leaders informed of all the policy and social questions surrounding legalization of Internet gaming.
NIGA Trainings and Seminars In 2016, I reported that NIGA had again expanded its trainings and seminars for all tribal gaming commissioners and regulators. Despite this increase, demand has continued to run strong from our gaming commissions and NIGA will again be increasing the number of Commissioner Trainings and Masters Level Trainings across the country. NIGA's trainings are continually evolving to meet the needs of our Tribal Governments and their gaming divisions. The tribal regulator's role as the primary enforcement mechanism for our industry is one of our key messaging points. Participating in NIGA's trainings and seminars will provide another tool for your gaming commissions to provide the most up to date regulatory methods available and report on current information. Please visit our website for a full list of Trainings coming to a venue close to your Tribe. National Indian Gaming Commission NIGA is also closely monitoring the NIGC and their aggressive 2018 Tribal Consultation Schedule. The Tribal Consultation Sessions will address, among other things, Class III MICS; technical standards for mobile gaming devices; and changes to management letters and audits. Please join us this year at our speaking sessions for a complete discussion with the NIGC and their goals for Indian gaming regulation. Indian Gaming is a central part of many state and local economies and the data indicates our industry is playing a strong role in the recovery in those areas. As you can see from our Economic Impact Report, Tribal properties are generating several billion dollars in capital costs, operations and maintenance, security and surveillance, goods and services, etc. Tribes' remaining revenue is reinvested into the tribal government to help pay for education, health care, police and fire protection, housing, water and sewer service, transportation, government infrastructure and community development. Tribal Governments, like most governments, exist to provide a better standard of living of their citizens. We know that our NIGA Member Tribes are committed to rebuilding their Indian communities and creating sustainable economic models on the reservation. Indian Gaming revenues play a vital role in this endeavor and together, we will continue to share our economic development stories with America. Once Indian Country's full story is told, all citizens will realize that the growth of Indian Gaming is truly another great American success story.
ALASKA DELEGATE Vacant EASTERN DELEGATE ROBERT MCGHEE Poarch Band of Creek Indians Alternates: MICHAEL CONNERS St. Regis Mohawk WILLIAM CANELLA Seneca Nation of Indians EDDIE TULLIS Poarch Band of Creek Indians EASTERN OKLAHOMA DELEGATE MATTHEW MORGAN Chickasaw Nation Alternate: RANNY MCWATTERS Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma GREAT PLAINS DELEGATE RANDY PHELAN Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara Nation Alternates: WILLIAM "SHORTY" BREWER Oglala Sioux Tribe JAMIE AZURE Turtle Mountian Band of Chippewa Indians
MIDWEST DELEGATE BRANDON STEVENS Oneida Nation of Wisconsin Alternate: MELANIE BENJAMIN Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe SCOTT VELE Stockbridge-Munsee Tribe NAVAJO DELEGATE RUSSELL BEGAYE, PRESIDENT Navajo Nation Alternate: JONATHAN NEZ, VICE PRESIDENT Navajo Nation NORTHWEST DELEGATE VACANT PACIFIC DELEGATE MARK MACARRO, CHAIRMAN Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians Alternates: DENNIS HENDRICKS Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians
CHAIRMAN ERNEST L. STEVENS, JR. Oneida Nation of Wisconsin
VICE-CHAIRMAN DAVID Z. BEAN, COUNCILMAN Puyallup Tribe of Indians
TREASURER ANDY EBONA Douglas Village
SECRETARY PAULETTE JORDAN Coeur D'Alen e
GARY SANTOS Tule River Tribe ROSEMARY MORILLLO Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians
AT-LARGE MEMBERS GREG ABRAHAMSON Spokane Tribe
Jason Giles Executive Director Muscogee (Creek)
JENNI WILDCAT Northern Arapho Tribes
KURT BLUEDOG Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
Alternates: TIM DAVIS
Danielle Her Many Horses Deputy Executive Director/General Counsel Oglala Lakota Debbie Thundercloud
Blackfeet Nation CLINT WAGON Eastern Shoshone Tribe
JOEL FRANK Seminole Tribe of Florida
SOUTHERN PLAINS DELEGATE LESLIE TANYAN Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma
Chief of Staff Oneida Nation
STEPHEN LEWIS, GOVERNOR Gila River Indian Community
Angelica Molina Business Manager Navajo (Dine') Maria Ferguson Office Manager Chelsea Blake Legislative Associate
ASSOCIATE MEMBER DELEGATE (Non-Voting) JODI DILASCIO Director Tribal Gaming Division BMM Testlabs RUSSELL WITT Director of Operations & Business Development - Class II Ainsworth Game Technology
SOUTHWEST DELEGATE STUART PAISANO LT. GOVERNOR Pueblo of Sandia Alternate: IDAK FIERRO Pueblo of Pojoaque WESTERN DELEGATE JANE RUSSELL-WINIECKI CHAIRWOMAN Yavapai Apache Nation Alternates: VERLON JOSE Tohono O'Odham Nation COLLEEN FADEN White Mountain Apache Tribe DELBERT RAY, PRESIDENT Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
Vanessa Little Executive Assistant Bois Forte Mary-Charlotte Grayson Tradeshow Coordinator Cherokee Nation Mimi Hoang Receptionist
THE NATIONWIDE IMPACTS OF INDIAN GAMING An Economic Analysis Study
Contents Economic Impact Summary
25 25 26 27
Background Introduction
Economic Impact Modeling METHODOLOGY DIRECT, INDIRECT & INDUCED MULTIPLIER Impact Overview
REVENUES OUTPUT IMPACT ANALYSIS Employment Gains
Areas of Employment Gains Payroll and Related Taxes
Federal and State Government Taxes Government Taxes Paid 2013 to 2017 MULTIPLIER AND TOTAL IMPACT NAICS Sector Impacts Indian Gaming Wages Indian Gaming Operating Expenses Indian Gaming Regulation Indian Gaming Capital
Indian Gaming Transfer Payments Indian Gaming Revenue Sharing Indian Gaming Overall Economic Output Economic Impact State Summaries KEY FINDINGS OF STATE SUMMARIES Ranked Industries by Output United States Private Employers Dupris Consulting Group, LLC
45 46 47
Economic Impact Summary The following section presents a summary of the findings and conclusions from the study entitled, "The Nationwide Impacts of Indian Gaming," An Economic Analysis Study for 2017, conducted and authored by Dupris Consulting Group, LLC. on behalf of the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA). DIRECT AND MULTIPLIER IMPACT • In 2017, the Indian Gaming Industry has generated significant economic activity which had an overall economic output of $81,664,286,406. This represents an economic output of $22,179,371,807 on the reservation, where all Tribal casinos are located and an economic output of $59,484,914,599 off the reservation. • The Indian Gaming Industry, in 2017 directly transferred $13,101,386,610 to their Tribal owners for governmental program spending and investments, helping to meet gaps in federal funding for Indian programs. Since government spending is largely wages and employee benefits, the majority of that spending stays in the region. • Indian Gaming Operations and Ancillary Facilities supported 307,762 ongoing jobs in 2017 of which 75% or held my non-tribal citizens. • Total employment gains from the Indian Gaming Industry's economic impact activities totaled 745,052 jobs. Of this total, 41.3% or 307,762 were direct jobs, and 58.7% or 437,290 representing indirect jobs. • Wages paid to employees of the Indian Gaming Industry amounted to $9,077,985,197 and employment resulting from Indian Gaming workers spending their disposable incomes, operations
purchasing activities and capital expansion projects generated another $13,639,162,420 in wages. In summary, Indian Gaming was responsible for generating $32,406,083,724 in direct and indirect wages throughout Indian Country, the States their casinos are in, and the United States. • The fiscal impacts to State and Federal Governments have been very strong. When including taxes paid and payments reduced, the Indian Gaming Industry has had a positive impact on governments in the amount of $16,909,424,812. Background Nationwide Indian Gaming continues to contribute tax revenues, purchasing power, expansion development and jobs throughout the United States where Indian casinos operate. It has become a powerful catalyst for many American Indian Nations, allowing tribes an opportunity for bringing significant economic growth and jobs into their communities, which was almost non-existent prior to the Supreme Court's 1987 decision in the California v. Cabazon case, as well as the passage of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. Furthermore, as was the intention of the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988, Indian Gaming has saved federal, state and local taxpayers and governments from being required to fund of billions of dollars for unemployment and other income or food subsidies, for direct aid to tribal entities, and for education. This can be directly quantified in one monetary calculation as Indian Gaming's 482 properties, in 2017, directly transferred $13.1 billion to Tribal governments for program spending and investments. In 2017, there were 250 Tribal Governments operating 482 gaming facilities with over 24.5 million square feet of gaming space in 28 states.
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What a fantastic Vancouver autumn! Here on Dunbar Street CrossFit weaknesses have been toppling like dominoes as everyone seems to be busting through and RXing more and more movements.
Friday's big WOD was the perfect arena to see just how far everyone has come. Here is what we captured on camera:
Bruiser & Sandman destroying 15 muscle ups.
Yeti, G-Money, Motor, Hard Rock, Still Waters, Road Warrior & Shine crushing T2B
G-Money, Motor, Quicksilver, Aquagirl & Still Waters tearing through pull ups
MK & Fast Trak owning the ring dips
Newcomer Mongoose celebrating DU's!
Great work all! Keep those RX's coming:)


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With the Boeing 737 MAX only recently cleared to take to the skies again in the U.S. Boeing has now announced that there is a potential electrical problem with a certain number of the jets. "Boeing has recommended to 16 customers that they address a potential electrical issue in a specific group of 737 MAX airplanes prior to further operations," the company said.
Before returning to operational status airlines will need to verify that one of the components of the 737 MAX's electrical system has been properly grounded. Boeing is working closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in relation to the problem. The system in question has been likened to functioning like a circuit breaker panel in a residential property and it is understood that the issue specifically involves a backup to the main power system that powers all of the aircraft's electrical parts; the fault has the potential to cause an onboard fire. The planes in question are the more recent, more fuel-efficient versions which have lower maintenance costs than older models.
Southwest Airlines has confirmed the issue affects 30 jets in its fleet. United Airlines has confirmed that the problem affects 16 of its 30 MAX planes. "We are working to swap out aircraft to minimize the impact to our customers," it said. "We are in communication with Boeing to understand the timeline for returning the aircraft safely to our fleet. We do not have an estimate right now." American Airlines said the issue does not affect the MAX jets it had in its fleet before the original grounding but involves 17 jets that were built during or after that grounding and which have delivered to the airline since November. Meanwhile China has still not lifted its original grounding order for the 737 MAX.


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Cyprus creditors back latest bailout stage
International creditors said on Wednesday that Cyprus was on track to complete the latest stage of its bailout program, making the eurozone country eligible for additional funds and participation in the European Central Bank's stimulus program.
A team from the so-called troika of the European Commission, European Central Bank (ECB) and International Monetary Fund completed a visit earlier this month to scrutinize reforms by Nicosia.
The troika bailed out Cyprus in 2013 to prevent a banking collapse, but the latest tranche of loans had been held up while the Cypriot government pushed through reforms on foreclosures and insolvency.
"Staff-level agreement has been reached on policies that could serve as a basis for completion of the (bailout) review," the three lenders said in a joint statement.
Formal approval by the EU and IMF to let the cash start flowing again "will be initiated shortly," it said. But the lenders said that Cyprus "should maintain the structural reform momentum."


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Web 2.0 is a term used to refer to the second generation of communities and services offered on the Internet, having as its concept the Web and through applications based on social networks and information technology. The term does not refer to updating the technical specifications, but to a change in the way it is perceived by users and developers, that is, the environment of interaction and participation that today encompasses many languages (Bradley, 2007, Deitel & Deitel, 2007, McLoughlin & Alam, 2019).
Web 2.0 is the move to the internet as a platform, and an understanding of the rules to succeed in this new platform, such a concept has a fundamental rule in harnessing collective intelligence. It is conceptualized in the essentially online context. Thus, activities that were previously done offline, with the aid of traditional programs sold in specialized stores, are now done online, using free tools open to all users. With it has increased the speed and ease of use of various applications, accounting for a significant increase in existing content on the Internet (Kroski, 2008, Shuen, 2018).
The idea of Web 2.0 is to make the online environment more dynamic and make users collaborate for content organization. With the advent of Web 2.0, many sites are no longer rigid and static structures, but platforms where people can contribute their knowledge for the benefit of other users and visitors. That's because Web 2.0 brought with it collaborative content creation software, social networking, blogging, and information technology (Berger & Trexler, 2010, Sankar & Bouchard, 2009, McLoughlin & Alam, 2019).
As a result, users are no longer just viewers and can interact, produce their own content, and communicate with others. Thus, Web 2.0 enhances and facilitates knowledge acquisition, having an impact on education (Vickery & Wunsch-Vincent, 2007, Bizer et al, 2007, Ellis & Kent, 2019).
One of the principles of this evolution of the Internet is that content must be opened under creative commons licenses, the copyright of which allows a user to repost, alter, or collaborate. This is because Web 2.0 aims to generate communities, either through a social network or comments on news sites and blogs. With this, the information technology that allows such interaction between users also brought significant changes in the way Marketing is done (Lee & McLoughlin, 2011, Rigby, 2008, Ellis & Kent, 2019). One downside is that these days people don't store information so easily and search the internet for all the information already processed, which doesn't stimulate critical thinking.
One of the biggest news that changes on the internet have brought to marketing is that companies had to learn to interact with their audience. This is because communication is no longer a one-way street and now the consumer not only receives the message but also gives their opinion about it. Besides, information technology has also brought with it a new way of advertising: through online advertisements and search engine placement (Solomon & Schrum, 2007, Theimer, 2009, Kompen et al, 2019).
With this, the evolution of the internet introduced us to Performance Marketing, that is, when a company hires this type of service but only pays for the corresponding result. Finally, technological advances have also made it possible to develop cross-media strategies: when an action goes beyond the online environment and continues offline. That is, Digital Marketing as we know it today was only possible thanks to the evolution of Web 2.0 (Solomon & Schrum, 2007, Theimer, 2009, Kompen et al, 2019).
JavaScript: It is the language that will make this information receive some behaviors, for example when creating a submenu or controlling something that appears and disappears on the screen, it is the layer in the programming that adds dynamic behaviors, it is this technology that acts when the user is in contact with the interface of a page that can at any time perform an action that results in behavior on the page, that is, as a dynamic behavior obtained when filling out a form, the user misses the email and is notified by the site.
Web: Is the term used to refer to a set of connected computers that can exchange data and messages. This is possible through a common protocol, which allows several users—private individuals, cultural bodies, libraries, or military institutes—to join in the same access.
AJAX: Is a technique of Web development that allows the creation of more interactive applications, one of the main objectives is to make the responses of Web pages faster by exchanging small amounts of information with the Web server. It has the philosophy of loading and rendering a page, using script resources running on the client-side, searching, and loading data in the background without the need to reload the page.
Web 2.0: It was the Web that gained new tools that made it more dynamic, starting phase 2.0, being marked by the 2000s with the sharing of information, where users invaded it with the production of video, text and photo content, considering the era of blogs, YouTube channels, and photo sharing networks, which has increased virtual interaction between people. It is a more intuitive and interactive Web platform, with the emergence and culmination of social networks, and video sharing sites, making it not only an entertainment platform, but also a business platform, as several companies have already started to operate virtually.
Internet: The internet is a worldwide network that aims to interconnect computers to provide the user with access to various information, and is thus called the world wide web. It has revolutionized world communication by allowing, the conversation between users thousands of kilometers away.
Information: It is a set of data that aims to reduce uncertainty or deepen the knowledge on a subject of interest based on what already exists. It constitutes a message about a particular phenomenon or event. Information makes it possible to solve problems and make decisions, taking into account that its rational use is the basis of knowledge.
XML: It is a markup language that defines a set of rules for encoding documents, it is a set of codes that can be applied when reading data or texts made by computers or people, providing a platform to define markup elements and generate a custom language. Working to define how certain content will be viewed on the screen or how the data will be distributed, and this internal coding is done through the use of markers or tags.
API: They are a type of "bridge" that connect applications, which can be used for the most varied types of business, by companies of different market niches or sizes, ie, they are a way of integrating systems, enabling benefits such as the security of data, ease of exchange between information with different programming languages and monetization of accesses. They are invisible to the average user, who sees only the interface of software and applications.
CSS: It is the language that will make this information beautiful, it is the layer in programming that shapes the elements of HTML, it is a language of stylization, formatting, determining the style of a text, a page with a certain background color or a block wrapped around a border and present it as a new shape in the browser.
Web 1.0: It was the first version of the Internet (called ARPANET) that emerged shortly after the Cold War, in the 1960s, with the initial purpose that served the US military objectives, providing information sharing, featuring online content delivery, in short, one of its milestones was e-mail, in 1969, the existence of the Internet Protocol (IP) and HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTP), providing data traffic by means such as radio, optical fiber and satellite (currently); sending encrypted information and commercial transactions via the Internet. The internet pages were simple, with mostly one-sided information and almost no interaction. The aim was only to discover information, the user being a mere spectator.
HTML: It is the language that will display the information, in addition to displaying the information, it gives meaning, since this is important because some search engine systems will read your page, they need to understand what is each element in it and the that each of these elements means.


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We are a Philippine homegrown brand that inspires, empowers, and enables people to live in a world where good health sparks possibilities. Living healthily always starts at home. Bringing little people into this world gave us the idea of making our homes safe and we believe that to make this a possibility, we had to take matters into our own hands and create our own products.
As we design products that help people reach their biggest potential, we continuously explore how we can make the littlest impact in our environment. This way, we can inspire others to become influential advocates of nature too.
Let's take care of our home today so we can live better tomorrow! Together, we can make a healthier future not just a reality but our responsibility.
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Copper Energizing Pyramid 6" x 4.5"
Availability: | In stock |
Our Copper Energizing Pyramid is perfect to use for cleansing and energizing crystals. It is also believed to increase the power of things placed inside them such as boosting the potency and energy of fruits, water and vitamins. This energizer set includes a powerful copper pyramid and quartz crystal point on a copper chain. It is suspended above a velvet mat, printed with the flower of life pattern and the seven chakra colours. With so many useful applications, this makes a great gift for any practitioner. Copper is known to be a good conductor of energies from our Higher Nature. It has a balancing and stabilizing effect wherever it is placed. Place crystals in the pyramid to cleanse and charge. Write out wishes or goals and place them in the pyramid to help with manifestation.


text: Audio Report 4/24/2009 Apr 24, 2009 | Mountaineering | 0 comments Click the following link to hear the report: <ob Submit a Comment Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ


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Royal Dux Porcelain S culpture Nude Girl. Modell number 731 / 49. 19 cm (7,5 in) tall, 16,5 cm (6,5 in) long, 7 cm (2,8 in) deep. Condition is very good, p lease see XXL-Photos. Please take a peek in my store for more antiques and vintage christmas collectibles.
This item is in the category "Collectibles\Decorative Collectibles\Sculptures & Figurines". The seller is "antiquesgermany" and is located in this country: DE.This item can be shipped worldwide.


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12 Colouring Pencils in Pot with Sharpener Lid – Emma Louise Art Stitch
A Pocket Sized Pot of 12 Colouring Pencils with Sharpener included. Length 10cm
All you need to get creative on the go. Perfect for just popping in your bag to take to the beach , whilst travelling or on holiday.
They still layer really well and give different tones according to pressure. So even with only 12 Colours you can create a greatrange of shades .
The great combination with my Postcard Pack , Just add a stamp and send a Postcard to someone when completed.


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Benoît Peeters during Derrida tour in Latin America
Benoît Peeters visited Latin America during May 2013 in his tour celebrating the release of the translations of his book on Derrida.
The tour started in Montevideo, Uruguay where he did some meetings. One at l'Alliance Française about Derrida.
and one about the Obscure Cities at the Faculty of Architecture 1).
Some more images by Andrea Sellanes, SMA:
Next stop was Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Benoît Peeters with Jorge Luis Borges and Adolfo Bioy Casares.
Meeting at the school of animation of Rosario with Eduardo Risso 2).
and a conference at l'Alliance Française of Rosario 3).
During his tour Benoît Peeters did several interviews and some reviews were published.
Source: El Pais


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Canaan Olive Oil "Moran" 2023The "Moran" olive oil will arrive in Germany at the beginning of January Our Moran olive oil, harvested under the best conditions, is particularly tasty, versatile and very healthy! The benefits of olive oil have been known for years and are only growing. Our...
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