I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5502 

To remove Federal barriers regarding the offering of mobile sports wagers 

on Indian lands when the applicable State and Indian Tribe have reached 

an agreement, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 19, 2019 

Mr. BRINDISI (for himself, Mr. KATKO, Mr. HIGGINS of New York, and Mr. 

GOSAR) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To remove Federal barriers regarding the offering of mobile 

sports wagers on Indian lands when the applicable State 

and Indian Tribe have reached an agreement, and for 

other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Removing Federal 

5 Barriers to Offering of Mobile Sports Wagers on Indian 

6 Lands Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

8 For the purposes of this Act— 


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1 (1) the term ‘‘interactive sports wagering plat2 form’’ means a person or entity to the extent such 

3 person or entity offers lawful sports wagering over 

4 the internet, including through an internet website 

5 or mobile application; and 

6 (2) the term ‘‘sports wager’’ means the staking 

7 or risking by any person of something of value upon 

8 the outcome of a sporting event, including the out9 come of any portion or aspect thereof, upon an 

10 agreement or understanding that the person or an11 other person shall receive something of value in the 

12 event of a certain outcome. 

13 SEC. 3. IGRA SPORTS WAGERS. 

14 For purposes of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act 

15 (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) only, a sports wager made 

16 through an interactive sports wagering platform shall be 

17 deemed to be made at the physical location of the server 

18 or other computer equipment used to accept the sports 

19 wager. 

20 SEC. 4. PRESERVATION OF STATES’ RIGHTS. 

21 With respect to a sports wager accepted through a 

22 server or other equipment located on Indian lands (as de23 fined in section 4 of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act 

24 (25 U.S.C. 2703)), the sports wager shall be considered 

25 to be exclusively occurring on Indian lands if— 


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1 (1) the person placing the sports wager and the 

2 server or other computer equipment through which 

3 the sports wager is accepted are in the same State; 

4 and 

5 (2) the applicable State and Indian Tribe have 

6 entered into a Tribal-State compact under the In7 dian Gaming Regulatory Act authorizing the placing 

8 of sports wagers through interactive sports wagering 

9 platforms. 

10 SEC. 5. MANAGEMENT AGREEMENTS. 

11 Section 12 of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 

12 U.S.C. 2711) is amended by adding at end the following: 

13 ‘‘(j) Subsection (b)(5) and subsection (c) shall not 

14 apply to a management contract entered into between an 

15 Indian Tribe and a person or entity to the extent such 

16 person or entity offers lawful sports wagering over the 

17 internet, including through an internet website or mobile 

18 application.’’. 

Æ 


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