Overturning Bush-era rules on off-reservation casinos and ensuring fairness in tribal-state compact negotiations should take top priority in President Obama’s nascent tribal gaming policy, experts suggest.

The ambitions of dozens of Indian tribes have been severely constrained by a new Supreme Court ruling that could restrict the US federal government’s scope to permit tribes to set up casinos away from their traditional lands. The fallout from the landmark decision will provide an early test for the Obama administration’s Native American credentials, but experts predict it could even see tribal gaming heavyweights forced to defend themselves against a raft of further litigation seeking closure of already established venues.

More than a year after taking office, the Obama Administration is sitting on nearly a dozen proposals by tribes to build off-reservation casinos that supporters say could create badly needed jobs in a tough economy.

President-elect Barack Obama’s choice of US Attorney General told a Senate confirmation hearing last week that the Department of Justice would, under his tenure, seek strict enforcement of measures contained in regulations to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act to prohibit payments connected to online gambling websites.

Nevada’s recent primary contest highlighted the growing importance of the gambling industry as a supporter of political campaigns, but it also revealed radically diverging opinions over the issue of gambling expansion in the United States. As the race for the White House wears on observers expect divisions over internet gambling regulation and Indian gaming expansion to figure too.

The largest tribe in the Northeast is taking aim at a key provision in the former Bush Administration’s drive to rein in off-reservation gambling.

The Obama Administration is poised to revamp draconian restrictions on the expansion of tribal casinos, but a backlash is brewing in Congress.

A group of tribes pushing to build casinos in the Catskills outside New York City have seen their prospects suddenly brighten amid signs the Obama Administration may be seriously examining their plans.

Despite the growing number of concerns tribal gaming operators wish to see addressed, experts warn that next year’s election is unlikely to lead to a substantive shift in Federal policy on Indian affairs and that the experiences of Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani in New York could mean both leading candidates would adopt a hostile attitude to off-reservation tribal casinos if elected.

Influential members of a key US Senate committee have hinted that any congressional ‘fix’ to amend a recent Supreme Court decision could exclude redress for Indian gaming tribes looking to establish casinos away from the traditional reservations.