Sheila Morago has led the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association since 2011. She built her career at top tribal gaming groups, from Arizona to Washington, D.C. Today she helps leaders and the public understand what tribal gaming means for Oklahoma’s economy.
Who Is Sheila Morago?
Sheila Morago heads the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association, or OIGA, as its top executive. She comes from the Gila River Indian Community, where she is an enrolled member. She studied business and public administration at the University of Arizona.
She entered the field in 1994. Since then, she has spent three decades at the industry’s top advocacy groups. That work now shapes how she speaks for tribal gaming in Oklahoma, a market that ranks fourth in the nation, behind only Nevada, California, and New Jersey.
Sheila Morago’s Career in Tribal Gaming Advocacy
Sheila Morago’s tribal gaming career began in 1994. Gila River’s casinos hired her to run marketing. Over the next four years, she built that marketing team from scratch. She also helped open two new casinos.
From 1998 to 2001, she ran public relations for the National Indian Gaming Association in Washington, D.C. Then Arizona’s Prop 202 campaign called her home. She became its point person, linking 17 tribes to the campaign’s leaders. Around this same time, she also held a vice president role at Initial Impressions, a Tempe firm. There, she led outreach for clients both in Indian Country and beyond it.
In 2004, she took over as the Arizona Indian Gaming Association’s top executive. She held that post until 2011. Then she moved to Oklahoma, where she has led OIGA ever since.
| Year | Milestone |
| 1994–1998 | Marketing Director, Gila River Casinos |
| 1998–2001 | Director of Public Relations, National Indian Gaming Association |
| 2001–2004 | Tribal Liaison, Arizona Prop 202 campaign; VP, Initial Impressions |
| 2004–2011 | Executive Director, Arizona Indian Gaming Association |
| 2011–present | Executive Director, Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association |
How Sheila Morago Leads the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association
OIGA’s main job is simple: keep leaders and the public informed about tribal gaming. That means working with everyone from local tribal councils to federal agencies. Sheila Morago has run OIGA since 2011. Her work focuses on outreach and advocacy. When she took the job, OIGA’s membership included 22 of the state’s 33 gaming tribes.
Tribal gaming carries real economic weight in Oklahoma. In 2015 alone, new construction totaled $363 million. That building boom created about 2,768 jobs. Workers earned close to $124 million in pay from it.
That same year, the industry’s direct output hit $4.75 billion. That’s 3% of everything Oklahoma’s private sector made. By 2018, tribal gaming employers and workers had paid close to $339 million in payroll taxes. About $35 million of that went to state income tax.
OIGA also runs the John Marley Scholarship Fund, started in 2008. It helps tribal gaming employees and their families pay for college or trade school. A team at Oklahoma City Public Schools picks the winners each year. That team is the district’s Native American Student Services department.
Sheila Morago’s Awards and Recognition
Sheila Morago’s work has earned recognition across the tribal gaming industry over the years.
- Named one of the “Great Women of Gaming” by Casino Enterprise Management in 2004
- Named one of 25 people to watch by Global Gaming Business in 2006
OIGA vs NIGA: State and National Tribal Gaming Advocacy
Sheila Morago has worked at both the state and national levels of tribal gaming advocacy. Knowing the difference helps explain what OIGA does day to day.
| Feature | OIGA (Oklahoma) | NIGA (National) |
| Scope | State-level, Oklahoma tribes | National, tribes across the US |
| Focus | State legislation, local economic impact | Federal policy, national representation |
| Founded | 1986 | 1985 |
| Morago’s role | Executive Director since 2011 | Director of Public Relations, 1998–2001 |
State groups like OIGA work with local lawmakers and communities. NIGA instead focuses on federal laws that affect every member tribe nationwide. Morago’s time at both gives her a broad view of how tribal gaming rules connect to online gambling laws across the U.S.
The Bottom Line On Sheila Morago
Sheila Morago has spent three decades building her career in tribal gaming advocacy. She now leads the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association. In that role, she speaks for the economic and cultural importance of tribal gaming in the state. Her path from Gila River to Oklahoma shows just how deep her roots in this industry run.
Frequently Asked Questions
What organization does Sheila Morago lead?
Sheila Morago leads the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association as its top executive. That’s been her job since 2011. OIGA’s job is to keep officials and the public informed about tribal gaming in the state. Before OIGA, she spent seven years running the Arizona Indian Gaming Association.
Where did Sheila Morago work before OIGA?
Morago led the Arizona Indian Gaming Association from 2004 to 2011. Before that, she worked at the National Indian Gaming Association in Washington, D.C. She also served as Tribal Liaison for Arizona’s Prop 202 campaign. Her tribal gaming career started in 1994 at Gila River Casinos.
What is the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association?
OIGA is a nonprofit group that represents Oklahoma’s tribal gaming industry. Lawmakers and everyday residents turn to it for accurate information. OIGA also tracks the industry’s economic impact. That includes jobs, tax revenue, and new construction across the state.
What awards has Sheila Morago received?
Morago was named a “Great Woman of Gaming” by Casino Enterprise Management in 2004. In 2006, Global Gaming Business named her one of its 25 people to watch.
How is OIGA different from NIGA?
OIGA represents Oklahoma’s tribal gaming industry at the state level. The National Indian Gaming Association represents tribes nationwide on federal policy. Sheila Morago has worked at both. She has led OIGA since 2011. She worked in public relations for NIGA from 1998 to 2001.
