Foxwoods: Playing But Not Gambling On The Internet

Published: Friday, July 22, 2005 Online-Casinos.com

FOXWOODS: PLAYING BUT NOT GAMBLING ON THE INTERNET

Foxwoods comes up with an ingenious gaming concept.

News Channel 8 in the USA reported a clever business move by the Indian tribe owned Foxwoods land casino this week - but the state Attorney General does not seem to like it.

Foxwood's latest initiative, due for launch next month is to increase business through a new product called Foxwoods Playaway....and it involves the Internet and empowering gamblers to play from home.

The management at Foxwoods claim that Playaway is a game and not gambling.

Foxwoods Playaway games will allow people to play in the privacy of their homes. Players buy tickets on the Foxwoods casino premises that come with an access code that they can use to log in and play from home via the Internet.

However the results of the game are already predetermined by a computerised drawing that takes place on the casino premises.

Foxwoods spokesman Arthur Henick, says, "Nothing the player does from his or her computer can impact the outcome of the game. Unlike illegal offshore internet casinos, no financial transactions of any kind ever take place on the Internet. There is no betting...and no pay out via the medium."

Players may only redeem winnings in the regulated setting of the casino.

But state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal's concern is that gaming is only allowed within the boundaries of the reservation, something Foxwoods argues is exactly what will happen when players over 21 begin buying tickets for the play-away games...at the casino.

Blumenthal does not seem to be convinced, saying "Under federal law in the compact with the tribe gambling can take place only within the reservation boundaries. Clearly this gambling is anywhere, any time. That is exactly their pitch and those circumstances make it severely problematic.

"One of the great problems that is raised by this practice is that it appears to condone or perhaps promote underage gambling because there is no face to face check as to who is actually playing the game."

Foxwoods responds to that by pointing out that underaged gambling is monitored by the same methods as any other game at the casino. The tribe says they plan to meet with the Attorney General to clear up any misunderstandings.