参议院听证会提出在线扑克部落经营草案

　　参议院印第安事务委员会周四的会议中讨论到在线游戏的问题，尤其是针对在扑克游戏，带来联邦为此持续作战的一个新的转折。

　　会议期间，委员会主席和夏威夷参议员丹尼尔·阿卡卡提出了法案，其中一项草案将允许印度游戏社区开放网上赌博和扑克。题为《2012年部落在线赌博法》的草案公开指出："美国国家关于网络游戏法律具有不确定性。"而印度的游戏财团由美国所有游戏的40%组成，法案指定，任何联邦针对在线游戏问题的行动"必须对印第安部落的经济有利",并陈述了印度等事务工作的指导方针。

　　草案是法案构造的骨骼，草案是预期如此，但还有一些有趣的成分。该法案指定了工商及科技局局长部落游戏监督员，设立一个新的政府机构- 部落在线游戏厅对新的行业进行监督与协助。工商局局长将任命一名"有部落博彩活动经验"的董事。

　　新机构的目的将与其他法例中所能看到的很相似。部落在线游戏的新机构将授权个别印第安人部落提供网络游戏 - 保留选择不参加协议的部落的清单 - 并将通过其官方授权个别服务供应商。其中还提议了几个印第安部落必须遵守的规则。

　　如果获得通过，该法案将给印第安部落以只接受美国当地人投注的权利。他们必须满21岁，并且只能在未禁止在线游戏的区域。条例草案也将为新机构在该行业治安提供新的举措，虽然这些具体细节还未完全阐明。

　　也许条例草案中最有趣的部分是未提到任何未来联邦立法和印度在线游戏领域的税收。如果联邦政府通过了关于除扑克之外的在线赌博法律，提议不会受到影响，印第安部落有权提供这些以外的游戏。从任何印度的在线游戏业务产生的收入也将免除任何联邦税和州税。

　　这项新法案对目前华盛顿正在进行的任何行动将有什么样的影响是未知的。目前，在众议院有两个法案- 得克萨斯州众议员乔·巴顿的《互联网禁赌，2011年扑克消费者权益保护和加强UIGEA法案》已经获得的支持远远超过了加州众议员约翰·坎贝尔的批准及监管法案-但两者都保留在各自不同的委员会，没有推向众议院成员面前。

　　最近关于内华达州参议员兼参议院多数党领袖哈里·里德和即将离任的亚利桑那州参议员凯尔之间的计划中的交易的新闻，已提振了在线扑克玩家的利益。拟议的折衷法案尚未提出，因为他们试图汇集在参议院中的不同派别，以确保其通过任何参议员。里德/凯尔法案将明确授权在线扑克游戏，同时保持其他形式的在线游戏的禁令。有人认为，拟议的条例草案可能在2012年选举后，在1月新一届国会选举前的国会"跛脚鸭" 会议时期准备好。

　　无论是联邦政府还是印第安部落成为未来在美国的网络游戏产业的监督员，似乎都认可行业监管和征税的必要性。现在仍有待观察，任何一方是否可以进一步适当立法，为在线扑克游戏带来一个"新的世界",而在美国的赌博也许会有其他形式。

　　译文：

　　Thursday's meeting of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs discussed the issue of online gaming, in particular poker, and presented a new twist in the ongoing battle for federal action regarding the subject.

　　During the meeting, committee Chairman and Hawaii Senator Daniel Akaka presented a draft of a bill that would allow the Indian gaming community to open up for online gambling and poker. Entitled the "Tribal Online Gaming Act of 2012," the draft opens by stating that there "is uncertainty about the laws of the United States concerning internet gaming." Noting that Indian gaming consortiums comprise 40% of all gaming in the United States, the Act designates that any federal action on the online gaming question "must provide economic benefits for Indian tribes" and sets out guidelines for Indian operation of such affairs.

　　The draft bill is quite skeletal in its framework - as a draft is expected to be - but there are several interesting components to it. The Act designates the Secretary of Commerce as the overseer of tribal gaming, setting up a new government agency - the Office of Tribal Online Gaming - to assist with the oversight of the new industry. The Secretary of Commerce would appoint a Director who "（has） experience in tribal gaming activities."

　　The purpose of the new agency would be much like what has been seen in other legislation. The new Office of Tribal Online Gaming would authorize individual Indian tribes to offer internet gaming - and maintain a list of those tribes that opt out of the agreement - and would authorize individual service providers through its office. There are also several rules laid out that the Indian tribes would have to abide by.

　　If enacted, the bill would issue Indian tribes the right to accept bets only from people located in the United States. They would have to be at least 21 years old and in an area that doesn't prohibit online gaming. The draft bill would also provide a measure of punishment for the new agency to police the industry, although those exact details are not exactly spelled out.

　　Perhaps the most intriguing segment of the draft bill is that of any future federal legislation and taxation of the Indian online gaming arena. If the federal government passes laws regarding online gaming outside of poker, the proposed bill would not be impacted and the Indian tribes would have the right to offer those other games. The revenues generated from any Indian online gaming operations would also be exempt from any federal or state taxes.

　　What effect this new bill will have on any of the action currently ongoing in Washington D. C. is unknown. Currently there are two bills in the House of Representatives - Texas Rep. Joe Barton's "Internet Gambling Prohibition, Poker Consumer Protection and Strengthening UIGEA Act of 2011" has garnered much more support than California Rep. John Campbell's licensing and regulatory bill - but both have languished in their different committees without any action to push them in front of the House membership.

　　The recent news of a proposed deal between Nevada Senator and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and outgoing Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl has perked the interest of online poker players. That proposed compromise bill hasn't been presented by either Senator as of yet as they try to bring together the different factions in the Senate to ensure its passage. The Reid/Kyl bill allegedly would expressly authorize for online poker while maintaining the ban on other forms of online gaming. It is thought that this proposed bill may be ready after the 2012 elections during the "lame duck" session of Congress prior to the new Congress being seated in January.

　　Whether the federal government or the Indian tribes are the overseers of a future online gaming industry in the United States, it appears that both have recognized the need for a regulated and taxed industry. It now remains to be seen if either side can move forward their appropriate legislation to bring about a "new world" for online poker and perhaps other forms of gaming in the United States.