The concept of tribal gaming over the internet has long been a controversial one, both inside and outside of Indian Country. While several groups are moving forward with the idea, citing a legal argument that the wager is legal because it is accepted on servers based on reservations, Great Luck extends the legal argument by limiting the play to Class II games, which by definition are under the aegis of tribes. Joe Valandra should know. As the former chief of staff for the National Indian Gaming Commission for two years, Valandra had to rule on arguments about the validity of various forms of Class II gaming. As CEO of Great Luck, he makes the case for online Class II gaming. He explains the company’s proprietary “Massive Multiplayer Online Games” and describes the progress his company has been as it closes in the launch of iGaming by Native American tribes. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros from his offices in November.
