Excerpts of chapter that first appeared in Inside the Minds: Emerging Issues in Tribal-State Relations (2012 Edition) published by Aspatore Books. Excerpts reprinted with permission.

For most of the twentieth century, gambling in the United States was confined to the State of Nevada. Much has changed in the last twentyfive years since adoption of federal law expressly authorizing Indian gaming. Today, hundreds of casinos are operated by tribes, on Indian lands throughout the country. Indian gaming accounts for nearly half of the industry.

Now, a change in position by the federal government — combined with the rapid growth and popularization of the Internet — has the potential to open a new frontier: Online gaming. The prospect of Internet gaming raises complex jurisdictional, regulatory, and other issues for Indian tribes and states. Does the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act support Internet gaming? Do existing laws and tribal-state compacts permit such gaming by tribes? What are possible subjects for legislation or tribal-state negotiation with respect to Internet gaming?

This chapter addresses each of these questions, and discusses the trends and strategies in this emerging area.