Indian Country: Commercial Operators Getting Closer to the California Dream?

California’s Native tribes are slowly aligning on the future of digital sports betting, with sovereignty and exclusivity key to their talks. A proposal is expected in June, but full implementation remains years away.

The 109 Native tribe gambling gatekeepers in California appear to be closer than ever to deciding what digital sports betting will look like in the prized, unexplored legal betting market.

But that does not imply they are close.

According to various estimates, a mature California sports betting system could generate up to $6 billion in income in the nation’s most populous state and the world’s fourth-largest economy. So the tribes continue to talk among themselves in order to find a road forward, while business operators maintain open lines of contact. In California, any casino growth must go through the tribes, who have exclusive rights.

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The schism that developed between Indian Country and the industry during and after the 2022 California wagering ballot campaign has begun to heal. Or at least it has progressed from chasm to crack. Although there is still some miles to go, progress has been made.

The Sports Betting Alliance (SBA), which includes BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics, and FanDuel, presented a proposal to tribe officials during the Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention in San Diego in March. More businesses are anticipated to join soon.

Next up, a working committee of tribe lawyers is scheduled to propose its own strategy to California Native leaders on June 2 in Sacramento.

Nobody knows what fresh ideas or possible solutions will emerge. But whatever happens, this will be a protracted process. Tribal chiefs have said they would not run an initiative to modify the state constitution and allow sports betting before the 2028 election. But 2030 is also an option.

Until then, tribes’ negotiations remain centred on sovereignty, self-sustainability, and preserving their exclusive right to provide gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and the California Constitution. There is still a lingering suspicion of national sports betting firms that have tried for years to establish business in the state, either with or against the tribes.

Courtesy: https://igamingexpert.com/, https://www.igbnorthamerica.com/, https://gamingamerica.com/news/