OVERVIEW OF THE GRA LICENSING DIVISION
The Licensing Division of the Band’s Gaming Regulatory Authority is responsible for implementing the licensing and exclusion functions in accordance with Tribal Statutes, State Compacts, and the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, through cooperation with the National Indian Gaming Commission and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Anyone who is employed at, or does business with, either casino must have a license prior to beginning employment or providing a service. The Licensing Department consists of three Background Investigators, one Licensing Specialist, one Community Liaison and one Licensing Director. The Team receives licensing requests for employee gaming licenses and vendor licenses and conducts the background investigations for each request. Depending on the level of the license being issued, they may also take fingerprints to be submitted to the State of Minnesota or the FBI for additional criminal history records checks. The background investigation also consists of public records checks through various courts websites, State of Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension website and a third-party background site. Licensing applicants also need to submit at least three reliable references which the Investigators will contact for character reference. It is important to provide references who can be contacted, as delays in receiving responses from your references will delay your background investigation, and, subsequently, delay the determination of your license.
Once Investigators have received all the information they need, a determination is made whether to approve or deny the license request. One of the tools Tribal Statutes allow us to use to get people to work faster is the issuance of a Temporary Gaming License. This is issued within 3-4 days generally, if the applicant has not disclosed any information on their application that could be potentially disqualifying. The Temporary Gaming License is valid until the GRA Board approves or denies the final license. All Employee Gaming License requests are submitted to the GRA Board for final approval. Class B, A, and PMO license requests also must be submitted to NIGC, which can issue an objection to any of those requests if they have information that indicates the individual is not fit to hold a gaming license. However, all license decisions are referred to the GRA Board for final approval or denial, and they make the final determination. Detailed Gaming Regulations 7, 7a, and 7b explain the licensing and background process in further detail and are a great resource to learn more about the requirements for each license class. We encourage you to read through these DGRs if you have any questions about your eligibility to obtain a gaming license.
Tribes are also required to maintain a list of excluded individuals. Individuals submitted for exclusion will receive notice via certified mail. This notice will include the reason for the exclusion as well as a hearing date for when the request for exclusion will be presented to and heard by the GRA Board. Individuals being submitted for exclusion are encouraged to attend these hearings on their own behalf and may also choose to be represented by an attorney. Individuals already on the exclusion list can request a review of their exclusion for the purpose of having it lifted. A hearing is scheduled in front of the GRA Board for these requests as well and individuals requesting a review are highly encouraged to attend on their own behalf. Once the GRA Board hears from both sides, a decision is made to accept, amend, or deny the recommendation to lift the exclusion or remain excluded. Additional information regarding exclusions can be found on the GRA website below.
Anyone who disagrees with a GRA Board decision regarding exclusion or a license denial can appeal the decision through the GRA appeal process or directly to the Central Court. DGR 2 explains the appeal process in further detail. The Licensing Division helps to ensure that the GRA achieves its mission by protecting the casino and the Band through ensuring that only reputable individuals are employed or contracted to work or provide services to the casinos. It also ensures that the general public’s trust in the casino is not violated by questionable or criminal behavior by internal or external actors. For additional information on the GRA, refer to Title 15 of the Mille Lacs Band Statutes or the GRA website at millelacsband.com/government/indian-gaming-regulation. The website will also have forms to request hearings or other licensing requests, as well as contact information for the Licensing Division.