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WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 1996 - Harold A. Monteau, chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC), today announced that he has submitted his resignation to the president.

The National Indian Gaming Commission is a small regulatory commission responsible for enforcing the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) on reservations and trust land.

"I am proud of the work I accomplished as the first Native American to head a United States federal regulatory commission," said Monteau in his letter to the president. "Now, I believe that I can do more for Indian gaming and the promotion of economic development for tribes outside of government. I have a strong desire to be 'in the trenches' during the coming Congress and the upcoming National Study Commission on Gaming."

Monteau, a member of the Chippewa Cree Tribe of Montana, was appointed by President Clinton to be chairman of the NIGC in 1994 and was confirmed by the Senate in October 1994. A graduate of the New Mexico School of Law, he was a partner with a Montana firm representing several Western tribes and maintained a one-man Washington, D.C., office prior to his appointment.

The NIGC, with a staff of 31 and annual revenue of $2.5 million, has oversight of 182 tribes with 274 gaming operations. As part of an increased emphasis on the enforcement of the IGRA, the NIGC has processed 9,000 investigative reports, 15,000 gaming employment applications and processes 1,200-1,400 fingerprint cards each month since 1993. In addition, enforcement actions more than tripled since Monteau took office.

During the same time period, Indian gaming gross revenues grew from $2.2 billion to $4.4 billion. "I do not think Congress ever envisioned this kind of rapid growth when they passed the IGRA," said Monteau. "The Indian gaming industry is still in its infancy," he said, "and the Commission must continue to work with the tribes to establish strong, consistent Federal and tribal regulatory programs. Monteau said, "I believe that Congress envisioned that the tribes and their regulatory bodies would be the first line of defense for keeping unscrupulous people out of Indian gaming, and the growth in the number and expertise of tribal gaming commissions has been tremendous in the past few years."

The resignation is expected to take effect prior to Jan. 31, 1997.