Policy Watchtower/Program change
NIGC lowers tier 2 gaming fee rate and fingerprint fee effective Nov. 1, 2026
National Indian Gaming CommissionInterior DepartmentProgram changeNov 3, 2026
Check: Tribal gaming operations regulated by the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) now pay a lower tier 2 annual fee rate and a lower fingerprint processing fee, effective 2026-11-01.
What it does
The NIGC, which regulates gaming on Indian lands under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), lowered its tier 2 annual fee rate from 0.08% to 0.065% of assessable gross revenues, with tier 1 unchanged at 0.00%. For tribes with a certificate of self-regulation, the rate on Class II revenues is 0.0325%, one-half of the annual rate. The fingerprint processing fee, charged per card for background checks, drops from $44 to $40, both effective 2026-11-01 until the Commission adopts new rates.
Why it matters for tribal funding
Directly tribal. The document is about tribes, tribal programs or Native organizations specifically.
Who it covers: Tribal governments.
Rules it touches: 25 CFR 514
What to do next
- Apply the tier 2 rate of 0.065% and, where applicable, the 0.0325% Class II rate to revenues from 2026-11-01 when computing and remitting NIGC fees.
- Submit fingerprint fees at $40 per card for requests on or after 2026-11-01; contact NIGC at (202) 632-7003 with questions.
Sources
Every signal is built from public records. The highlighted words appear in the source exactly as shown.
- Federal Register: tribal termsNoticeNov 3, 2026
Fee Rate and Fingerprint Fees
Quoted from the source: “the tier 2 rate has been lowered from 0.08% to 0.065%”
Quoted from the source: “If a tribe has a certificate of self-regulation, the fee rate on Class II revenues shall be 0.0325%”
Quoted from the source: “The NIGC has also adopted its fingerprint processing fee of $40 per card which is $4 lower than the current fee of $44 per card.”
Read in the Federal RegisterU.S. government record, public domain.
Terms with a dotted underline open a plain-language definition. This is guidance, not legal advice: the official text always controls. A free public service from GrantsPath, a Native-owned business.