Correcting the misconceived notions

How much involvement does Incredible Technologies have with tribal gaming operators? How important are tribal operators to your business?

Incredible Technologies is currently working with or anticipates doing business with all tribal gaming operations across North America. Tribal gaming represents nearly half of our sales plan every year. We partner with select tribal operators to test new games and hardware which helps us bring to market the best software. Large tribal gaming operations typically reinvest in their gaming floor at a more consistent and constant pace than regional commercial operations, which provides sales growth opportunities year after year. The National Indian Gaming Association has recently reported tribal gaming and ancillary revenue has overtaken commercial gaming revenue and there is expected to be continued growth in the sector.

Incredible Technologies is a member of the National Indian Gaming Association. What is the thinking behind this?

Being an associate member demonstrates our support of NIGA and its mission. The association is instrumental in the representation of member tribes to maintain, protect and promote tribal sovereignty and ensure tribal gaming continues to exist and thrive as the political landscape and administrations change. There are also practical advantages, in regards to the trade show logistics and company brand visibility to all members’ tribes.

What are some of the misconceptions with regards to working with tribal operations?

Tribal gaming in the form of casinos has been established and operating for over 30 years. Regulation and rulemaking have been constantly developed and updated to keep pace with technology and gaming-related policy. Casino gaming is one of the most highly-regulated industries in North America to include tribal gaming.

The National Indian Gaming Association has recently reported tribal gaming and ancillary revenue has overtaken commercial gaming revenue and there is expected to be continued growth in the sector

There may still be misconceived notions about dealing with tribal casinos. Every tribe has a licensing agency and process that vet potential vendors and business partners through extensive and collaborative investigation. The idea that organized crime has or will infiltrate tribal casinos is categorically untrue, because of the focus and attention to the licensing and compliance at the tribal gaming commission and National Indian Gaming Commission.

Over the last 30 years, management experience, expertise and operational innovation has become more sophisticated, and in many cases, is cutting-edge. Larger tribal operations are often sought out by manufacturers to test new technologies before they are brought to market. These same casinos often invest in and implement new technologies before their corporate counterparts.

Being sovereign entities, contracts and agreements on tribal lands are complex and have unique nuances. Researching these differences is important to ensure a full understanding when working in Indian Country. Many tribes have their own commerce laws and court system in which agreements are subject to jurisdiction.

What do you plan to achieve at this year's NIGA show?

Our goal at every trade show is to demonstrate to our customers our commitment to providing the best products to help them maintain and grow profitably. Incredible Technologies has a proven track record of innovations that are well received by players and become an industry form factor.

IT is always on the leading edge of sophisticated hardware, designed to increase each operator’s product merchandising impact and bottom line. We’ll be showcasing our Infinity Edge configurations at NIGA 2019 with the newest V55 slot titles, including top indexing game families like Power Wheel and Clinko. We look forward to meeting with our friends, customers and potential partners at NIGA.