A Southern Arizona tribe has become the first in the state - and possibly the nation - to offer Internet gaming.
The Pascua Yaquis' Casino del Sol website offers poker, slots, blackjack and roulette to visitors. But it is being done in a way that complies with existing state and federal laws, which make Internet gaming for cash illegal.
Roy Corby, the casino's chief operating officer, said it's a means to an end.
"It's just a matter of time before we have either a statewide Internet gaming law or a national gaming law," he said. And he figures having an operating website will give the Yaquis a boost when that day comes.
"For us it was very important to be at the forefront and to be able to evolve with this and give our guests an early experience in the life cycle," Corby said.
People are also reading…
The move has not gone unnoticed by Mark Brnovich, the state's gaming director. He said, though, that there's little he can do - other than to monitor the activities - as long as what is occurring does not meet the state definition of "gambling."
Brnovich said he agrees with Corby that full-blown Internet gaming is coming. And much as Corby wants his tribe to be ready, Brnovich said he does not want regulators to have to play catch-up when that happens.
At the heart of it all is the Double-Down Casino system developed by International Gaming Technology.
Staci Alonso, the company's vice president of marketing, said her company offers the system to brick-and-mortar casinos without cost. The casinos then put it on their websites.
But there is money involved.
Players who sign up get $1 million in virtual chips at no cost. That, however, does not last as long as it might seem.
It takes at least a $100 bet for a single line on a slot machine. And while the lowest buy-in at a poker table is $250, there also is a "black tie" table starting at $200,000.
All of that makes it fairly easy to burn through $1 million in no time at all.
The cash transaction takes place when the chips run out and players want to continue.
They can buy $150,000 worth of new chips for $3. And the deals run up to $99 for an extra $100 million.
Credit cards and PayPal are welcome.
But Brnovich said that does not cross the line.
"It's more akin to an amusement," he said. Brnovich compared it to FarmVille, a Facebook game, which can be played for free.
"Or you can pay money to buy additional items," he explained. "It enhances your entertainment or amusement experience," Brnovich said. "But it doesn't constitute gambling."
What it does constitute is a taste of gambling, albeit without the financial risk.
Corby said he doubts that his casino is at risk of losing paying customers to those who prefer to sit home and play online for imaginary chips. It lacks the same thrill as the possibility of winning big.
Brnovich said even if the goal of what Casino del Sol and IGT are doing is to create more gamblers, that does not merit state intervention.
He said his agency is concerned with the "social consequences related to gambling."
"At the same time, certain forms of gambling are legal in Arizona," Brnovich said.
Those decisions, he said, were made by lawmakers and voters, and gambling options range from pari-mutuel wagering at horse and dog tracks to a state-run lottery and, most recently, voter approval in 2002 of giving tribes the exclusive right to operate casinos that are regulated by his agency.
Air adventure park to open in Tucson with ziplines and more
