"Suddenly, what happens on the Isle of Man, the Kahnawake Mohawk reserve near Quebec, in Costa Rica or Alderney has become important to Tahlequah, Tacoma, Temecula, Tulsa and Toledo. I-gaming is here and the world has shrunk. And when it comes to Internet gaming, Indian Country should be concerned – and proactive.

Now is the time for tribes to embrace the new opportunities presented by i-gaming. With appropriate laws and regulation, i-gaming can flourish in Indian Country and respect the longstanding policy of tribal governments remaining the sole beneficiaries of Indian gaming revenue. While potentially a threat to the status quo, i-gaming is an opportunity as well.

Indian gaming is the most successful economic development policy in United States history and has grown to approximately $30 billion dollars in annual revenue in 2011. By some estimates worldwide i-gaming revenue from2010 was a larger number – $35 billion.The most popular form, of course is online poker. Also, much discussion has occurred about the development of intrastate i-gaming lottery systems, forms of which are offered in about five states. Some have recently estimated that one million people a day engage in i-gaming within the U.S. Momentum is building. We cannot ignore i-gaming."

Get the Story:
D.Michael McBride III: Why Should You Care About Internet Gaming? (Indian Gaming Magazine December 2011)