President-Elect Donald Trump has nominated North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as the next Secretary of the Interior, which could be a problem for tribal gaming interests.
While Burgum has yet to be confirmed for the office, the United States Dept. of the Interior (DOI) has an important role in tribal gaming, and Burgum has previously opposed the easiest path tribes have to offer games over the internet.
In his time as North Dakota’s governor, Burgum expressed skepticism about the legality of the “hub-and-spoke” model that some tribal gaming operators have used to offer online gaming. That could signal the potential reversal of current policies favorable to that practice.
