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Deputy Chief of Staff & Director of the Office of Self-Regulation
Christinia Thomas
Christinia Thomas is a member of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and serves as the Deputy Chief of Staff for the National Indian Gaming Commission, an independent federal regulatory agency established within the Department of the Interior. She also serves as the Director of the Office of Self-Regulation. As such, Christinia assists the Chief of Staff with managing the day-to-day operations of the Commission, including the compliance, finance, public affairs and technology divisions. In addition, she works to implement the Commission’s directives relating to government-to-government consultation, training and technical assistance and enforcement efforts.
Thomas brings to the NIGC over 20 years of gaming experience, which includes serving as Executive Director at the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Gaming Regulatory Authority located in central Minnesota. Prior to joining the NIGC, Thomas served as the Command Center Operations Officer at Bismarck-Mandan Security, Inc. where she oversaw operations of the Tesoro Refinery Command Center.
Thomas also served on the NIGC’s Tribal Advisory Committee in 2012, which provided valuable insight and advice on proposed rulemaking during the NIGC’s regulatory review process.
Updated 6/17/2024
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act created the National Indian Gaming Commission to support tribal self-sufficiency and the integrity of Indian gaming. NIGC oversees the efficient regulation of more than 500 gaming establishments operated by 250 tribes across 29 states.