2026 – GAMING

Ernie Stevens Jr. was a pioneering leader in Native American gaming and tribal sovereignty, best known for his decades-long advocacy for tribal government gaming and the rights of Indian Country.

For over 24 years, Stevens led the Indian Gaming Association (IGA), serving more than a dozen consecutive two-year terms. Under his leadership, tribal gaming revenue grew from $11 billion in 2000 to over $43–$49 billion in 2024, making tribal government gaming the largest segment of the US gaming industry. He was a fierce defender of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) of 1988, which established the legal framework for tribal gaming. Stevens worked to protect tribal rights, educate policymakers, and ensure gaming revenue funded education, healthcare, housing, public safety, and cultural preservation in Native communities.

A citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, Stevens served on the Oneida Nation tribal council from 1993 to 1999 and was a former First Vice President of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI). Stevens was inducted into the American Gaming Association’s Gaming Hall of Fame and received numerous national honors for his work. Stevens saw gaming as a driver of economic prosperity and community empowerment. His leadership helped create hundreds of thousands of jobs, build hospitals and schools, and strengthen tribal economies.

Beyond politics and gaming, Stevens was a cultural practitioner and smoke dancer, representing the best of Native leadership traditions. He mentored the next generation of tribal leaders and was respected for his humility, humor, and dedication to service.

Ernie Stevens Jr. transformed tribal gaming into a cornerstone of Native economic and cultural life, leaving a legacy of unity, empowerment, and enduring sovereignty for generations to come.