Daniel J. Little, a member of the Mashantucket Pequot tribe, was appointed last month to the National Indian Gaming Commission, bringing a full contingent of three members for the first time in two years. George Skibine, a member of the Osage Nation of Oklahoma, serves as acting chair. Steffani A. Cochran, a member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, joined the commission in January and serves as permanent vice chair.

Skibine was appointed acting chair in October when immediate past chairman Phil Hogen resigned after six years in the post. His appointment is for a limited time and the Obama administration is expected to announce a successor within the next two months and return Skibine to his post at the Interior Department's Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Little was most recently the director of national government affairs for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, and has gained a wide knowledge of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and the regulatory processes governing casino operations.

A notice published in the Federal Register in February said, "This experience has given Mr. Little a thorough knowledge of the laws and regulations governing Class II and Class III gaming and casinos.By virtue of his work on gaming issues and his extensive knowledge of relevant laws and regulations, Daniel J. Little is eminently qualified to serve as a member of the National Indian Gaming Commission."

By GGB Staff

Staff writers for Global Gaming Business magazine. Las Vegas, Nevada.