While there has been no Internet poker legislative movement in Wisconsin, there have been some positive steps towardiGaming. Last year, the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians became the first nation to join the Tribal Internet Gaming Alliance, an alliance of Indian tribes working to bring Internet gaming to Indian country within the framework of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and other state and federal laws.
“As online gaming legislation progresses throughout the United States, the Lac du Flambeau Tribal Council recognizes the need to stay in the forefront of the potential opportunities,” said the tribe, which has launched a fun-play site for its Lake of the Torches Casino Resort to help pave the way to real-money gaming.
“It pleases me that some in Indian country are aggressively exploring their Internet gaming options. For many Americans, tribal casinos are well-known entities and it would be only natural for players to migrate to their brands online,” Poker Player Alliance executive director John Pappas said. “Given the significant capital investment, it makes sense that tribes would band together so that smaller and medium-sized tribes can compete in the market. Also, the unique nature of Indian gaming law allows tribes to be more creative in building the necessary liquidity to have a successful online poker platform.”
— Email Chad at anteupchad@yahoo.com.
