The 2024 Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention was held from April 8 to 11 in Anaheim, CA. It brought together 300+ tribal gaming exhibitors and sponsors.

Key Takeaways From The 2024 Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention

The 2024 Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention was held from April 8 to 11 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. As always, the show brought together tribal leaders and casino executives to discuss the success and future of Native American Gaming.

During the conference, the Native American Gaming Community met with clients and partners like Playtech and Konami one-on-one to discuss industry updates, including new technologies shaping the gaming industry.

In this article, we’ll discuss some of the key takeaways from the 2024 Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention.

The Digital Play Summit: Shaping the Future Landscape of Online Gambling in North America

The Digital Play Summit (DPS) was a key feature of this year’s Native American Gaming tradeshow in Anaheim, California.

DPS’s sponsors, iGaming Business, showcased iGaming and sports betting exhibits and content sessions on the show floor. Professionals from IGT, Everi, Konami, Playtech, Chalkline, Continent 8, and GBank, as well as other stakeholders such as DraftKings and FanDuel, came together to discuss the future of the online gambling industry in North America.

During the event, the Indian Gaming Association (IGA) launched the Sustainable Gambling Zone (SGZ)to demonstrate tribal gaming’s commitment to player protection. The SGZ was presented as a physical area on the DPS show floor, allowing companies to showcase their collaborative efforts in promoting responsible gambling and player’s health.

SGZ was endorsed by the Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health, the National Council on Problem Gambling, and the International Center for Responsible Gaming.

Growth in Tribal Gaming Revenue

For the year ended (2023), the IGA Economic Impact report showed a growth in tribal gaming revenue. The Native American Gaming revenue hit $48 billion, a $3 billion increase from 2022.

The report also indicated that IGA collected an additional $5.1 billion from hotels, food, beverages, and entertainment.

Commenting on the report, IGA Chairman Ernie Stevens said Native American Gaming remains an important tool in steering the economic development of the native Americans in the United States. He dedicated the success of tribal gaming to the whole Indian country community, from tribe leaders and casino employees to management professionals and industry regulators.

After presenting the 2023 fiscal year revenue report, the leaders discussed the next steps for gaming on Indian reservation lands. Ernie Stevens Jr. and Mark Macarro, President of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), led the meeting.

Introducing Core Video and Class II Games for Tribal Casinos

IGA partnered with International Game Technology (IGT) to showcase exciting products and services designed for tribal gaming customers.

The IGT’s 2024 IGA booth featured the following core video and class II games:

Tiger and Dragon Multi-level Progressive

Tiger and Dragon is the latest addition to IGT’s multi-level progressive portfolio. It is an action-packed game with several features, including three compelling bonuses, money on reels, and persistence mechanics.

Core Video Game Portfolio

During the Native American Gaming convention, IGT showcased its portrait screen cabinet portfolio, which caters to player preferences and market trends. The portfolio included core video games housed by the Magic Treasures™, Rising Rockets, Split ‘N Win Link, and Pirate Link ™ games.

Class II Version: Mystery of the Lamp

IGT launched its Class II version, Mystery of the Lamp, at the 2024 Indian Gaming tradeshow. The game is anchored on the PeakCurve™49 cabinet and is built using class III game themes, art packages, and play mechanics. Attendees at the Native American Gaming had the opportunity to play other IGT Class II version games, such as Shadow of the Panther, Twin Win, and Magic Treasures.

Elections, Education, and Leadership Awards

While showcasing new gaming technologies and responsible gambling tools was the main agenda, IGA 2024 could not be complete without elections, education, and leadership awards.

Elections

During the 2024 tradeshow, the Indian Gaming Association held its annual elections for the Vice-Chairman and Treasurer positions. Justin Barrett was voted in as the new IGA treasurer. David Z. Bean was re-elected as the Vice Chairman.

Education

One of IGA’s core objectives is to promote the education of Native Americans in the United States for the common benefit of the Indian reservation community. It achieves this through the Native Forward Scholars Fund. This initiative empowers American Indian and Alaska Native students by funding their higher education. At the 2024 IGA, the event was held on 8th April and graced by the Chairman of the Golf Classic.

Regarding tribal gaming education, the industry thought-leaders at the convention networked and shared knowledge on how to solve emerging industry trends to remain on course.

Leadership Awards

Several individuals were honored at the 2024 IGA for their exemplary contributions to tribal gaming.

The Chairman’s Leadership Awards and Luncheon awarded Melanie Benjamin of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians for her exemplary leadership and contributions to Indian Country. After leading the Ojibwe tribe for over 20 years, Melanie Benjamin won’t be seeking another term in office.

Former United States Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell was honored with the Rick Hill-Tim Wapato Sovereign Warrior Award for his unwavering support for Indian reservation lands. This tribal sovereignty and Indian Country recognition is dedicated to the memory of tribal gaming legends Tim Wapato and Rick Hill.

Bold Entertainment from Konami Gaming

Konami Gaming Inc. announced leading new releases arriving at the Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention in Anaheim, California. These releases aim to deliver bold entertainment and engagement value to tribal casinos

Konami had the chance to showcase the following at the 2024 IGA:

SYNKROS Casino Management System

SYNKROS casino management system is the future of tribal gaming on Indian reservation lands. Konami showcased the SYNKROS Progressive Management (SPM), a system-based, floor-wide progressive jackpot and mystery Bonusing module.

SPM can be configured to run on a single machine, bank of machines, casino zones, or even the entire gaming floor. SYNKROS is now offering integration with Gift & Go for on-demand player loyalty gifts selected digitally by the patron and shipped directly to their home address.

A Series of Slot Machine Games

With the release of big screen DIMENSION 43×333, Konami’s line of slot cabinets is tipped for more success. The core for-sale product showcased fresh content from Konami, such as Charms Full Link, Lucky Honeycomb Fortune, new All Aboard multi-game packs, and BUZZR slots filled with vintage gameshow TV charm.

This was a representation of the dozens of popular Konami slot creations available for online social and real money sites.

Remote Gaming Server

Konami aims to equip tribal casinos with an omnichannel delivery of traditional casino games to the online gaming space. To achieve this, Konami showcased its remote gaming server (RGS). RGS is a robust HTML5 delivery compatible with multiple software, from Android and iOS smartphones and tablets to desktop devices.

About the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA)

Established in 1985, the Indian Gaming Association is a non-profit organization of sovereign Native Americans in the United States. Its non-voting associate members represent organizations, tribes, and businesses engaged in tribal gaming enterprises around the country.

NIGA has resources that serve a common goal of Indian peoples, from education to community to legislation and public policy issues. Its influence revolves around empowering Native Americans in the United States economically, socially, and politically.

The purpose of NIGA is to:

  • Protect and preserve the general welfare of the 184 Indian tribes in the United States that depend on gaming businesses in the Indian country.
  • Protect and maintain the sovereignty of the Indian Government and Authority in the Indian country.

When is the Next Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention?

The 2024 Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention, held from April 8 to 11 in Anaheim, California, was a success. It brought together native tribe leaders and over 300 casino executives to discuss the success and future of Native American Gaming.

The next Indian Gaming Mid-Year Conference & Expo will be held on September 16-18, 2024, at Tulalip Resort Casino, Tulalip, Washington.

The next annual Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention will be held on March 31 – April 3, 2025, at San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA.

The 2024 Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention:

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