Home >> News >> Native American Interests Voice Opposition to ...

Native American Interests Voice Opposition to Online Gaming Legalization

In 2010, there will likely be a push in Congress to attempt to legalize and regulate online poker and gambling in the United States. But a new opponent to that effort has surfaced.

Daniel Tucker, the chairman of the California Indian Gaming Association, wrote a letter to tribal leaders to ask them to attend the California Nations Indian Gaming Association’s Western Indian Gaming Conference this month. In that letter, he voiced some strong opposition to the efforts in Congress:

While the downturn in the economy is challenging tribal gaming across the country, I believe there is an even greater threat to tribal economies on the horizon. The recent drive by members of Congress to legalize Internet casino gambling nationwide represents the greatest threat to Indian gaming in the last 20 years. I sought the chairmanship of CNIGA because it is my intention to lead the fight against this outrageous and unjust proposal by Congressman Barney Frank.

Tucker goes on to say that if legislation to regulate online gambling in the U.S. passes, it will ” transfer billions of dollars from Indian Reservations to foreign offshore internet casinos.”

A recent report in the “Capitol Weekly,” a California publication following the state government, said tribal casinos in California had revenues of $7.3 billion in 2008, down $500 million over the previous year. Nationally, tribal casinos saw revenues grow 1.5% in 2008, the report said.

There hasn’t seemed to be much in the way of organized opposition to the Frank bill, outside of Congress, so it will be interesting to see if this effort among Native Americans gains any traction.

Get your daily dose of poker news with the PTP Hit and Run.

Exclusive Freerolls and up to 60% cashback at Carbon Poker >>>