Expansion of Net Gambling Worries Indian Tribes

A Senate committee debated a controversial Justice Department opinion that some legal experts and gambling supporters say has opened the door for states to begin offering online gambling within their borders and could harm Indian gambling operations.

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee examined how any potential expansion of Internet gambling within states could affect Indian tribes that also offer gambling on their reservations. The issue has come under more scrutiny in recent months following the release in December of a Justice Department opinion that reversed the department's opinion on the scope of the federal Wire Act, a federal law prohibiting some gambling activities. The department now says that the Wire Act only applies to sports betting. Some states are moving quickly to take advantage of the department's opinion and begin offering some online gaming within their states. "The short answer to the DoJ opinion is that states are now free to do whatever they wish with respect to Internet gambling, except for, of course, sports betting," Patrick Fleming with the Poker Players Alliance told the committee. "This opens up an entire Pandora's box of possibilities."