Casino officials thought the floor space could make more money with slot machines, according to a tribal official. Townsend said no matter how well bingo performs on the floor, every local casino could make money online. Soon he will find out if local tribal leaders agree. Taylor said there is nothing in the tribal state gaming compact that prohibits Internet gambling. But he added that earlier efforts by some tribes to host online gaming were thwarted by regulators.
Tribes recognize the potential of the Internet to help and hurt Indian gaming.
We tend to be a lazy society. If we can log onto a computer and lay the same kind of bet Americans are liable to do that. At the same time the association has not publicly opposed or supported online gaming in California. Coin said he believes Internet gaming is inevitable and that tribes should be prepared. Frommer is the sponsor of the bill in the California Legislature that would ban Internet gambling here.