NCPG Establishes Tribal Advisory Council To Address Gambling Issues In Native American Communities

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has announced the formation of its newest subcommittee, the Tribal Advisory Council. The committee will advise the wider NCPG on its culturally specific work and matters relating to gambling in Native American communities.

While the NCPG — a national nonprofit seeking to mitigate gambling-related harm — already liaises with tribal gaming entities, the creation of the Tribal Advisory Council seeks to enhance the existing collaboration with Native American communities on responsible and problem gambling issues.

The council’s work with tribes is born from “a deep respect for tribal sovereignty and our core values of neutrality, collaboration, respect, and credibility,” said NCPG Executive Director Keith Whyte this week in a press release. “We have a responsibility to listen and learn, as well as the opportunity to share our knowledge as we seek to reduce the social costs of gambling addiction and improve health and wellness in all communities.”

Who’s on the council?

The council is made up of eight founding members representing tribes and gaming associations from across the U.S. They include Raquel Buari, J.D., executive vice president of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians’ Four Winds Casinos; Jacob Coin of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians; Anika Howard of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation; and Matthew Morgan of the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association.

Tribal-focused councils are becoming an increasingly important subset across different governmental departments. In 2022, the Government Accountability Office established its own Tribal Advisory Council to offer insights and recommendations on issues affecting Tribal Nations. 

The year before, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) launched its Tribal Advisory Council to address emerging health issues in Indian Country, and Homeland Security formed the Tribal Homeland Security Advisory Council.

However, the NCPG — and by association, the Tribal Advisory Council — is a non-governmental organization that receives no federal funding. Instead, almost all of its funding comes from members and donors.

The NCPG has partnered with Sheila Morago and Valeria Spicer of the Trilogy Group, a woman-owned business with more than 50 years of experience in governmental affairs and tribal gaming, to facilitate the efforts of the Tribal Advisory Council.

Spicer, president of the Trilogy Group, praises the creation of the Tribal Advisory Council, noting that it “acknowledges the significance of tribal gaming in the gambling sector, the impacts of tribal gaming on communities, and ways we can support finding balance in helping people heal from gambling-related harm respectfully amid the complexity.”