The Congress finds that-
(1) numerous Indian tribes have become engaged in or have licensed gaming activities on Indian lands as a means of generating tribal governmental revenue;(2) Federal courts have held that section 81 of this title requires Secretarial review of management contracts dealing with Indian gaming, but does not provide standards for approval of such contracts;(3) existing Federal law does not provide clear standards or regulations for the conduct of gaming on Indian lands;(4) a principal goal of Federal Indian policy is to promote tribal economic development, tribal self-sufficiency, and strong tribal government; and(5) Indian tribes have the exclusive right to regulate gaming activity on Indian lands if the gaming activity is not specifically prohibited by Federal law and is conducted within a State which does not, as a matter of criminal law and public policy, prohibit such gaming activity.Pub. L. 100-497, §2, Oct. 17, 1988, 102 Stat. 2467.STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES
SHORT TITLEPub. L. 100-497, §1, Oct. 17, 1988, 102 Stat. 2467, provided: "That this Act [enacting this chapter and sections 1166 to 1168 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure] may be cited as the 'Indian Gaming Regulatory Act'."
- Indian lands
- The term "Indian lands" means-(A) all lands within the limits of any Indian reservation; and(B) any lands title to which is either held in trust by the United States for the benefit of any Indian tribe or individual or held by any Indian tribe or individual subject to restriction by the United States against alienation and over which an Indian tribe exercises governmental power.