A CLASS II ACT

Interblock Global CEO John Connelly provides an outlook for 2023 trends in Tribal gaming, including how best to partner with Tribes, the importance of reservations and Tribal growth in recent years.

Do you agree with Political Consultant Pat McFerron’s recent remark: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen the Tribes more active (in politics) than they are today,” when looking at Tribal gaming in politics?

I feel no matter how active the Tribal Market becomes within the political landscape, they have the right to do as much as they feel necessary to protect and enforce their rights.

How does your company approach business partnerships with Tribal operators?

The approach is virtually the same when doing business with both Tribal and non-Tribal partners for our company. We utilize the same process and procedures to ensure an equal level of quality and support are achieved.

How invaluable do land-based gaming rights on Native American reservations remain today, when gambling seems to be leaning toward online operations?

Despite the tremendous growth of online gaming, the demand for traditional land-based casinos will remain. Their activity in the land-based segment continues to increase, despite the introduction to online wagering in several States in the past few years. There will be demand and room for both.

Can you tell us about your company’s greatest ‘success story’ in teaming up with a Tribal partner?

I would be hesitant to choose any single partnership we have established but I will say that the growth rate we are seeing in Interblock, when speaking of Tribal Casinos, has been tremendous over the past several years. Interblock was able to support the Tribal Casinos during the Covid-19 pandemic, when in many cases the live table games on casino floors were forced to shut down. Interblock was able to offer the Tribes an alternative to generate money for their members in a safe and profitable manner, without the use of live dealers and creating social distancing. As a result, the number of Electronic Table Games within Tribal Casinos across the US has more than tripled in the past few years. We are very proud of our contributions during this difficult period of time.