The Native American Fair Commerce Coalition Speaks Out on Internet Commerce

According to Market wire a report from Washington District of Columbia USA , the Native American Fair Commerce Coalition has responded to  the Congressional hearings on Internet gambling and the Joe Barton sponsored bill that would strengthen the existing law the UIGEA Act of 2011 which prohibits transactions of funds related to online gambling originating within the USA.

The Native American Fair Commerce Coalition does represent like-minded tribes and tribal members that are committed to protecting the sovereign rights, well settled in U.S. law now of Native Americans to pursue business and economic opportunities for their tribes nationwide.
Executive Director of the NAFCC, Darold Stagner, said, , "While many of its supporters view the bill as being fair to the tribe's interests, the devil, as always, is in the details. The bill includes two very important provisions which must be challenged and defeated. First, the bill creates a federal tax scheme for poker sites. American Indian tribes are exempt from federal income tax and allowing tribal gaming operations to participate only under these conditions is an impingement to tribal sovereignty. Second, while supporters claim that the bill allows anyone to seek a license, that really is not true. In fact, the bill takes the authority to license gaming operations away from the National Indian Gaming Commission (itself a federal agency) by establishing rules for what types of tribes can operate poker sites.
"The traditional tools of economic development -- water resources, tax-exempt bonding, labor protection and property tax incentives -- have not been available to Native American tribes. Gaming has been an important pillar in many tribes' ability to raise their populations from economic destitution. The knowledge gained from casino operations has provided many tribes with strong skills to continue to develop their economies in the new world of digital commerce. It is imperative that the tribe's ability to participate in any and all lawful economic activity be protected. There have been several attempts by political interests to exclude the American Indian tribes from online poker and exposing these attempts to the light is exactly what is needed." 
Stagner added, "Too many times, our Congress has passed laws without public hearings and simply attaching an ill-considered provision to an unrelated bill that the sponsors know will pass. This was tried with Internet gambling and was almost successful in prohibiting tribally owned casinos from participating in this very important area of digital commerce,"