US Department of Interior proposes Kirkland appointment to NIGC

The US Department of the Interior has proposed appointing William (Billy) Henry Kirkland III as an associate member of the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) for a three-year term. 

The notice, signed by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, was published under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), which requires the Secretary to publish information about proposed associate commissioner appointments and allow at least 30 days for public comment.

Comments on Kirkland’s proposed appointment must be received by May 27. 

The NIGC is structured as a three-member federal commission. Its Chair is appointed by the President with Senate approval, while two associate members are appointed by the Secretary of the Interior.

Kirkland is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and currently serves as Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior. He was confirmed by the US Senate on October 7, 2025.

His current role involves the Department’s trust responsibilities to American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes and individuals, placing the proposed appointment within wider federal policy responsibilities connected to Tribal governance, land, economic development and self-determination.

The appointment would come during a period of continued scale for Indian gaming. In July 2025, the NIGC reported FY2024 gross gaming revenue of $43.9bn, up 4.6% year-on-year. The figure represented a record total for the sector and reflected audited statements from more than 530 Indian gaming operations across 29 states.

The Federal Register notice states that Kirkland has experience across Native American issues, public affairs, legislative work and government-to-government engagement. It also states that he has no financial interests that would make him ineligible to serve on the Commission under IGRA.

Kirkland previously served in the Executive Office of the President as special assistant to the President and deputy director of Intergovernmental Affairs, where his work included Tribal engagement and coordination with federal, Tribal, state and local leaders.

Earlier this month, Jean Hovland stepped down as NIGC Vice Chair after five years in the role, ending a period in which the Commission continued oversight of a Tribal gaming sector approaching $44bn in annual revenue.