Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Saturday, July 28, 2012
Akaka Proposes Tribal Internet Gaming Bill
By News Release @ 3:24 PM :: 7967 Views :: Energy, Environment, National News, Ethics

Committee on Indian Affairs oversight hearing on regulation of tribal gaming: from brick and mortar to the internet

Statement of Chairman Daniel K. Akaka July 27, 2012

I call this hearing of the Committee on Indian Affairs to order. Aloha, and welcome to the Committee's oversight hearing on the Regulation of Tribal Gaming: From Brick and Mortar to the Internet.

We are here to discuss the regulation of tribal gaming. Tribal gaming is now a twenty-seven billion dollar industry. In total, tribal gaming makes up approximately forty percent of the commercial gaming industry in the United States. Gaming, like many industries, does not remain stagnant. That is why today, we will discuss the current regulatory structure of Indian gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, as well as examine regulation of online gaming should federal legislation be enacted.

Gaming has been the single most effective form of economic development for Indian Country. Revenues from gaming provide essential services to tribal members, including education, healthcare, and housing. Indian gaming also provides jobs to members of the surrounding communities. In many counties across the nation tribes are the largest employer, with nearly seventy-five percent of those jobs going to non-Indians.

With these types of economic tools, comes great responsibility. Tribes are the first-line regulators for tribal gaming. We in Congress - and especially on this Committee -- also have a responsibility to ensure that tribal views and priorities are part of any legislation that could impact tribal gaming.

That is why I have developed a draft online gaming bill - the Tribal Online Gaming Act of 2012. This bill is intended to further the dialogue with tribes, my colleagues here in the Senate, and other affected stakeholders. I encourage all of you to review the bill and provide any comments.

In any expansion of gaming, we must make sure that the unique circumstances surrounding tribal sovereignty are maintained in any legislation. And, we must also enable tribes to participate fully should any legislation be considered so tribes are on equal footing with their counterparts in the commercial gaming industry.

As always, it is our job on the Committee to make sure tribes achieve parity in any federal legislation and to bring your voice to Congress. So, I urge all of you to review the Tribal Online Gaming Act discussion draft and provide comments so that we can make sure the tribal voice is heard.

We will continue the dialogue on this issue, and I encourage all of you to continue your work with the Committee. As Chairman, it is my goal to ensure that we hear from all who want to contribute to the discussion.

Mahalo - thank you. This hearing is adjourned.

---30---

Draft: Tribal Online Gaming Act of 2012

LINK: Hearing Witness List and Webcast

COF: Senate Committee examines Indian Gaming

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT