Angie Craig: “I think many of us have spoken tonight to the issue of Internet gaming and our opposition to it; most assuredly, our…”

“I think many of us have spoken tonight to the issue of Internet gaming and our opposition to it; most assuredly, our opposition to unregulated offshore Internet gaming. The Senator from Arizona has brought forth an amendment that controls that, in fact, prohibits that. But it also prohibits something else that we in the Congress and law, by agreements, treaties with American Indians, have said is separate, should be, and should be regulated. And we have said Indian gaming should be regulated. And it is. But the Senator from Arizona has made the exception as it relates to any Indian gaming on the Internet. I am saying, that is an intrusion that should not be allowed. Regulate? Absolutely. Control? Absolutely. Build and maintain a tribal-State compact? Absolutely. We have wrestled with this issue over the years. When I was in the House, I worked with a Congresswoman from Nevada. We were outruled by the courts. The Senator from Hawaii has clearly spoken to the issue of the courts. What I am saying is that I sense there is a clear and important division. Through the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, Congress established a clear and precise law governing all forms of Indian gaming. And I think it is important that I repeat that--all forms of Indian gaming. Authority to regulate Indian gaming was given by Congress to the National Indian Gaming Regulatory Commission. I believe the Kyl bill ignores this procedure and IGRA.”