It is no secret that the technological advancements that make gaming more entertaining for the players, more lucrative for the industry and safer all around are largely driven by the tribal gaming industry.
With increasingly interactive features and complex software, some of the games found on the floor today were unimaginable only 10 years ago. But as those technological advances proliferate, so, too, do new challenges faced by those responsible for the security and regulation of gaming operations and systems.
The National Indian Gaming Commission wants to help the industry meet those challenges and provide tribal regulators and gaming operators the tools necessary to prevent a challenge from becoming a compliance issue. In keeping with the commission’s ongoing commitment to the ACE initiative (Assistance, Compliance, and Enforcement), the NIGC’s training and technical assistance program makes every effort to keep pace with advancements in gaming technology.
To address the ever-evolving technology used in casinos, the NIGC offers information technology-focused training and technical assistance through its “Regulating Gaming Technology” (RGT) course. The NIGC has conducted a thorough needs assessment to develop a course, presented by expert trainers, that is focused on providing an understanding of various gaming technologies on the casino floor and offering strategies to effectively regulate that technology.
The RGT course provides a foundation of knowledge and skills that regulatory and operational staff can apply jointly to ensure that both the tribe’s and the NIGC’s regulatory requirements are being met as gaming technology is introduced into facilities. Less experienced regulators who may be unfamiliar with modern gaming systems will be brought up to speed on all the fundamental aspects of regulating gaming technology. More experienced regulators will also benefit from the standardized tools offered to enhance regulators’ knowledge of system and compliance requirements.
The RGT training offers instruction in areas such as the history of casino games, compliance standards and gaming forensics. The course is kept up-to-date, and covers current and trending threats to IT security systems. It offers best practices from an industry-wide perspective, which can be adapted and replicated by any facility, will increase efficiency and cost effectiveness, and address compliance concerns across all sizes and varieties of gaming facilities.
So far in the 2013-14 training year, more than 250 tribal regulatory and operations staff have taken advantage of four different RGT training opportunities offered by the NIGC. We will continue to offer the course in the upcoming months throughout the country.
I encourage you to visit nigc.gov for the current schedule of RGT and other NIGC training courses. We continue to maintain our focus on providing current, top-quality training that will help tribes improve their regulatory programs and increase opportunities for economic development through gaming. As always, there is no fee for attendance at NIGC training courses.
As technology marches on, we at the NIGC are as excited as anyone in the gaming industry to see the progress and innovation it will bring to tribal gaming. We recognize that staying technologically current is key to staying competitive in the market, and staying competitive in the market is key to maintaining all of the benefits gaming has brought to Indian Country.
But we also recognize that these advances require training for those who implement and regulate that technology. The NIGC remains committed to delivering the tools necessary to ensure that tribal gaming remains the lucrative, safe and well-regulated industry that it has become.
