[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 228 (Monday, November 27, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 70673-70674]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-30077]


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NATIONAL INDIAN GAMING COMMISSION

25 CFR Part 542

RIN 3141-AA24


Minimum Internal Control Standards

AGENCY: National Indian Gaming Commission.

ACTION: Advance notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The National Indian Gaming Commission (the Commission) 
proposes to revise its regulations establishing minimum internal 
control standards (MICS) for gaming operations on Indian land. This 
notice announces the initiation of the rulemaking process and requests 
information relevant to revision of the Commission's regulations 
governing minimum internal control standards for gaming facilities 
operated on Indian land.

DATES: Submit comments on or before March 2, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send comments by mail, facsimile, or delivery to: Minimum 
Internal Control Standards, First Revision Comments, National Indian 
Gaming Commission, Suite 9100, 1441 L Street NW., Washington, DC 20005. 
Fax number: 202-632-7066 (not a toll-free number). Public comments may 
be delivered or inspected from 9 a.m. until noon and from 2 p.m. to 5 
p.m. Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joe H. Smith at 503-326-7050, or by 
facsimile at 503-326-5092 (not toll-free numbers).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Introduction

    The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), 25 U.S.C. 2701-2721, was 
signed into law on October 17, 1988, creating the Commission and 
establishing a comprehensive system for regulating gambling activities 
on Indian lands. Following a thorough rulemaking process, that included 
a tribal advisory committee and public hearings, the Commission 
determined that minimum internal control standards were needed to 
ensure the integrity of gaming on Indian lands and to safeguard this 
source of tribal revenues. On January 5, 1999, the Commission published 
its Minimum Internal Control Standards, 25 CFR Part 542. In developing 
the MICS, the Commission anticipated that the regulation would be 
subject to periodic revision to maintain consistency with evolving 
technology and sound practice in the gaming industry. The Commission 
recognized the importance of ensuring that tribal gaming operations 
were not locked into internal control systems that contained unworkable 
requirements or that placed those operations at a competitive 
disadvantage. Overall, implementation of the MICS has had a positive 
impact on the ability of tribal oversight officials and the Commission 
to identify potential threats to the integrity of Indian gaming 
operations. As anticipated, however, in the period since publication of 
the MICS, there have been changes in Indian gaming and gaming 
technology that may need to be reflected in the MICS. Additionally, as 
gaming tribes and the Commission have gained practical experience with 
the MICS, it has become apparent that there are some technical errors 
in the regulation and that some of the standards themselves may not be 
operating as the Commission had intended.

2. Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

    To maintain the vitality of the MICS, the Commission has determined 
that the appropriate course of action is to publish an Advance Notice 
of Proposed Rulemaking to identify MICS provisions that may be in need 
of revision after more than a year of experience with those 
regulations.

3. Request for Comments

    Public comment is requested to assist the Commission in the 
drafting of the first revision to 25 CFR Part 542. Comment is requested 
on the following issues:
    (a) What are the major difficulties that have been encountered in 
the implementation of the MICS in Indian gaming facilities? How might 
the MICS be revised to address such difficulties?
    (b) What other problems, drafting errors or inconsistencies do the 
MICS

[[Page 70674]]

present? How should the Commission address these?
    (c) Are there any other areas that should be addressed by the MICS? 
How should the Commission address these?
    The Commission solicits any additional suggestions and/or 
interpretations regarding the issues raised in this Advance Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking.

4. Public Participation

    As noted above, interested parties are invited to submit comments 
on any or all of these and other pertinent issues related to revision 
of the MICS by March 2, 2001, in triplicate to Minimum Internal Control 
Standards, First Revision Comments, National Indian Gaming Commission, 
Suite 9100, 1441 L Street NW., Washington, DC. 20005. Fax number: 202-
632-7066 (not a toll-free number). All written comments submitted in 
response to this notice will be available for inspection and copying in 
the Commission office from 9 a.m. until noon and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. 
Monday through Friday. All timely written submissions will be 
considered in determining the nature of any proposal.

    Dated: November 20, 2000.
Richard Schiff,
Deputy Chief of Staff, National Indian Gaming Commission.
[FR Doc. 00-30077 Filed 11-24-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7565-01-P