Suppose you are a fan of online casino action. In that case, you will likely have come across the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, one of several casino legislators that operate from traditional tribal lands across North America.
Ever since the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was passed in the U.S. Congress in 1988, Native American communities have had the chance to regulate gambling activities within reservations and run the rule over prospective casino operators that require a licence to trade in the North American virtual casino market.
However, the U.S. Federal law that governs these relationships has been revamped, making it much easier for Tribes to expand gambling offers across the U.S and Canada region.
Changes recently introduced include allowing indigenous communities the chance to have a greater say in the location of future gaming venues.
Proposals put forward by the Bureau of Indian Affairs now mean that tribal planners can purchase extra land to site new casino ventures and also to negotiate with State-level authorities about extensions to online casino licensing ventures.
However, the de-regulation of Tribal gambling rules is facing stiff opposition from local interest groups, including regional governmental bodies, who are concerned about any resultant loss in tax revenue that these legal alterations could cause.
Austin Knudsen, Attorney General for the State of Montana, is among the most vocal critics of the new plans, commenting that “The proposed regulations would authorise an unprecedented expansion of tribal casino gaming—and would achieve that outcome by unjustifiably restricting the ability of state governments to adopt and enforce their own policies on gaming matters.”
However, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Indian Affairs pointed out that native groups had legal protections in place that allowed for the measures to be taken, “The federal government has a treaty and trust responsibility to protect tribal sovereignty and revitalise tribal communities by strengthening their homelands and economic self-sufficiency.”
As the online gambling industry is a key economic driver for indigenous communities, the loosening of gambling laws that allows tribal bodies to expand is deemed essential, allowing members of the National Indian Gaming Commission to remain competitive against local and off-shore operators.
