June 27, 2025
Re: Electronic Payments Mandated by Executive Order 14247
Dear Tribal Leader,
I hope this letter finds you and your community well. The purpose of this letter is to inform Tribes that the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) is fully transitioning to electronic payments and is phasing out paper check disbursements and receipts. On March 25, 2025, the President issued Executive Order 14247, “Modernizing Payments To and From America’s Bank Account” which “mandat[ed] the transition to electronic payments for all Federal disbursements and receipts by digitizing payments.”1
In accordance with EO 14247, the NIGC plans to phase out paper check receipts and will transition to receiving all payments via Pay.gov, a secured digital method. Along with other Federal Government bureaus and agencies, all payments made to the NIGC shall be submitted and processed electronically as soon as practicable using the Pay.gov website. The NIGC plans to phase out the use of paper checks as outlined below.
The NIGC implemented an electronic payment system through Pay.gov in 2014 for the submission of fee payments. Subsequently, in 2023, the NIGC offered the Pay.gov payment option for the submission of fingerprint payments. Pay.gov is an electronic payment web portal offered by the United States Department of Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service. Pay.gov allows individuals, states, and businesses to make online non-tax-related payments to the federal government. Since the implementation of Pay.gov, we are pleased to observe a growing number of tribes and gaming operations utilizing the Pay.gov platform to remit payments electronically every year. The Pay.gov web portal has demonstrated its effectiveness in providing a convenient, secure, and reliable method for processing payments.
Fee and Fingerprint Processing Fee Payments
Effective September 30, 2025, both fee and fingerprint processing fee payments due to the NIGC shall be submitted electronically using the Pay.gov payment portal. If you are currently submitting the payments to the NIGC via Pay.gov, please continue to do so and there is no action required on your part at this time. If you have not yet adopted the Pay.gov web portal, we strongly encourage you to transition from mailing paper checks to making online payments as soon as possible.
1 See Executive Order 14247, Modernizing Payments To and From America’s Bank Account (Mar. 25, 2025).
Please use the following links to access the step-by-step instructions:
https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/56464980 (for Quarterly Fees)
https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/997883650 (for Fingerprint Fees)
All Other Payments to the NIGC
The NIGC staff are currently working with the Department of Treasury to establish an additional Pay.gov portal for electronic submission of payments related to background investigation deposits and invoices, FOIA, and Civil Fine Assessments. We will notify tribes and gaming operations when the portal is established and ready for utilization.
The use of the electronic payment system enhances convenience, cost savings, increased security, and faster processing time. Eliminating paper check usage also benefits the environment and reduces administrative burdens. By using the Pay.gov online payment system, payments can be made directly from your bank account which will save processing time and mitigate the risk of lost, stolen or delayed checks.
Please refer to the enclosed pay.gov instructions for additional guidance regarding the electronic payment process. You may also contact your NIGC Region Office or fee.questions@NIGC.gov if you have any questions or need assistance. Thank you very much for your attention.
|
Sincerely, Sharon M. Avery |
