Tribal Internet Gaming Alliance forming 25 years after IGRA

(PRESS RELEASE) -- Twenty-five years to the day after Congress enacted the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa began a new era of Indian gaming. On October 17, 2013, the Tribe’s governing body voted unanimously to ratify an intertribal agreement to create the Tribal Internet Gaming Alliance (TIGA). The agreement, being called an intertribal treaty, will organize tribes across the country to both offer and regulate Internet and mobile phone gaming. Until laws change, TIGA will accept real-money wagers only from people who are physically present in the member tribes’ jurisdictions, such as patrons at tribal casinos and visitors to other tribal lands. When customers are outside of tribal jurisdiction, the games will be fun-play and will offer casino promotions. Games will be those categorized as Class II under IGRA, such as slot-like bingo, traditional bingo, pull tabs and poker. Because the games are Class II, no tribal-state compacts will have to be amended.

Using this strategy, TIGA tribes will jump ahead of the online competition and get extremely valuable experience with real-money wagering before other tribes and gaming operations. The idea for TIGA began among tribes in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan. TIGA developments are now being followed by 28 tribes in 13 states.