All posts tagged: tribal

Appeals court revives Comanche challenge to Oklahoma tribal casino lawsuit

Appeals court revives Comanche challenge to Oklahoma tribal casino lawsuit

Published by skeptic

A federal appeals court has given the Comanche Nation a mixed but meaningful win in its fight over the Warm Springs Casino run by the Fort Sill Apache Tribe near Lawton, Oklahoma. In a decision filed Tuesday (April 21), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit said part of the lawsuit can keep moving even after arguments that tribal sovereign immunity should block the case. Judges said the Comanche Nation may continue claims under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, known as IGRA, against Fort Sill Apache officials sued in their official roles. NEW: Tenth Circuit splits casino immunity case: Comanche Nation IGRA claims survive, while Fort Sill Apache officials win partial RICO shield @RWW pic.twitter.com/W7xOcyrTNH — Suswati Basu (@suswatibasu) April 21, 2026 The dispute began after Warm Springs Casino opened in 2022. According to the ruling, the Comanche Nation runs nearby gaming properties and claimed that “The resulting competition made the Nation’s casinos less profitable.” The Nation asked the court to stop casino operations and award damages. The opinion says the Nation alleged …

Lumbee Council advances gaming amendment in North Carolina, sending measure to tribal voters soon

Lumbee Council advances gaming amendment in North Carolina, sending measure to tribal voters soon

Published by skeptic

The Lumbee Tribal Council voted Thursday night (April 16) to move a constitutional amendment forward that would allow gaming on Lumbee tribal land, setting up a future vote for tribal members after hours of testimony and debate. Council leaders said the proposal is meant to put the final decision in the hands of Lumbee citizens and could open a path to long-term economic growth. Critics said the language could shift too much authority to tribal leadership, reduce direct voter control and expose the tribe to outside federal influence. After a late roll-call vote, council members announced they had cleared the required two-thirds threshold. “We have met the two-thirds quorum. At this time, the amendments passed,” the speaker declared to applause. The measure now goes to the Lumbee membership for a referendum. Council officials said “a yes vote is for the authorize the tribe into gaming,” while a no vote would leave the constitution unchanged. Lumbee gaming supporters and critics make their case Backers told the council that gaming revenue could provide dependable funding for housing, …

The original casino? How 12,000-year-old Native American dice could upend modern tribal gambling debates

The original casino? How 12,000-year-old Native American dice could upend modern tribal gambling debates

Published by skeptic

The story most people tell about tribal casinos is neat and convenient. That it is a modern industry, seized as an economic opportunity. Robert J. Madden’s research points somewhere much older. “We’re talking about a very deep cultural tradition,” he tells me, “probably one of the oldest continuous cultural practices in North America.” Not decades old. Not centuries old. If his research is right, Native American gambling traditions stretch back 12,000 years, forming an unbroken line from Ice Age campsites to present-day casino floors. It lands at a moment when the legal structure governing tribal gaming is being tested in ways its authors never anticipated. Tracing the origins of tribal gambling and Native American dice games Madden, who is the author behind “Probability in the Pleistocene: Origins and Antiquity of Native American Dice, Games of Chance and Gambling” approached the problem with the instincts of a litigator. A former trial attorney turned archaeologist, evidence had to be consistent across time and strong enough to support inference without guesswork. When we’re talking about Native Americans and …

Gov. Evers signs bill expanding tribal mobile sports betting across Wisconsin

Gov. Evers signs bill expanding tribal mobile sports betting across Wisconsin

Published by skeptic

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has signed a new law that could reshape how sports betting works across the state, especially for tribal nations looking to expand into mobile wagering. The measure, Assembly Bill 601, became law on Thursday (April 9) and sets up a framework that allows bets placed on phones anywhere in Wisconsin to be treated as legal, as long as those wagers are routed through servers located on tribal land. The activity must still operate under existing tribal-state gaming compacts, which have governed casino gaming for decades. Evers framed the change as a potential economic boost for tribes that have not yet been able to fully participate in mobile betting. “This bill means a broader collection of Tribal Nations in Wisconsin could reap the benefits of increased gaming revenues,” Evers wrote. He added that mobile sports wagering presents “an opportunity to help level the playing field to ensure every Tribal Nation in Wisconsin can benefit from the increased revenues.” NEW: Wisconsin @GovEvers signs AB 601, expanding tribal gaming revenue opportunities while urging fair, …

Experts say prediction markets challenge tribal sovereignty in post-IGA 2026 showdown

Experts say prediction markets challenge tribal sovereignty in post-IGA 2026 showdown

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“It’s an interesting time in federalism.” When Professor Steven Light said that in a recent ReadWrite interview, it landed with weight. He was sitting next to fellow Professor Kathryn Rand, his longtime collaborator on tribal gaming law and co-author of Indian Gaming Law and Policy, and the two were talking through a change that feels both sudden and far-reaching. Prediction markets, once a niche corner of finance, are now pushing into space long defined by tribal and state gaming systems. The platforms allow users to trade contracts on the outcome of real-world events, from sports games to elections, in ways that can closely resemble traditional betting. However, they are forcing new questions about sovereignty, regulation, and who really controls the rules. This tension was hard to miss at last week’s Indian Gaming Association Tradeshow and Convention. Tribal leaders, regulators, and industry voices gathered as legal disputes continue to intensify and uncertainty grow.  “Today, our Board took decisive action to protect what generations before us fought to build,” IGA Chairman David Z. Bean said at the …

Tribal gaming leaders confront federal push over sports prediction markets

Tribal gaming leaders confront federal push over sports prediction markets

Published by skeptic

Tribal leaders from around the country came together this week as the Indian Gaming Association’s Board of Directors met at the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego alongside its annual tradeshow, tackling financial business before turning to a fast-growing fight over sports prediction markets. The board approved a formal resolution pushing back on efforts by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to oversee so-called event contracts, including sports betting. Tribal leaders argue those products function as gambling and should remain under tribal and state jurisdiction, not federal financial regulators. IGA statement: The Indian Gaming Association welcomes the introduction of the “Prediction Markets Are Gambling Act” @RWW pic.twitter.com/IBKM0rHYiI — Suswati Basu (@suswatibasu) March 23, 2026 Chairman David Z. Bean said the decision reflects a broader effort to defend long-standing tribal authority in gaming. “Today, our Board took decisive action to protect what generations before us fought to build,” Bean said. “These so-called prediction markets are an attempt to bypass tribal authority and recast gambling as a financial product. We will not allow that. We will stand united to …

Federal judge pauses tribal lawsuit over disputed Northern California casino project

Federal judge pauses tribal lawsuit over disputed Northern California casino project

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A federal judge in Washington DC has decided to temporarily stop a lawsuit filed by three California tribes over a controversial casino proposal tied to the Koi Nation of Northern California. The pause, ordered March 27 by US District Judge Carl J. Nichols, puts the case on hold while similar legal fights play out in another court. The tribes behind the lawsuit are described as three “Southern Pomo Indian tribes with strong historical connections to Sonoma County, California.” They challenged how the Interior Department and the Bureau of Indian Affairs handled the approval process, arguing the government rushed to take land into trust for the casino project. The Southern Pomo Indian tribe is a key part of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, which already operates a major casino nearby and has been among those pushing back against the Koi Nation’s plans as construction edges closer. Why the judge paused the Northern California casino tribal case Nichols said it made more sense to wait, pointing to ongoing appeals in related cases in Northern California that …

Tribal sportsbooks see surge in betting as kiosks dominate activity

Tribal sportsbooks see surge in betting as kiosks dominate activity

Published by skeptic

Sports betting inside tribal casinos across North America is rising quickly, with more than 10 million wagers placed through tribal sportsbook networks during 2025, according to the 2026 Kambi Tribal Sports Betting Report.  The figures show tribal operators carving out a larger presence in the regulated wagering market as more properties expand sportsbook offerings and adopt new betting technology. Analysts say the numbers also reveal changing habits among bettors who increasingly favor faster and more flexible ways to place wagers. Kambi data shows tribal sportsbook betting volume surpassing 10 million bets in 2025, with margins also climbing steadily. Credit: Kambi Part of that momentum reportedly comes from new partnerships between tribal operators and sportsbook technology providers. Kambi, a major sportsbook platform supplier, has been increasing its footprint in tribal gaming through deals that allow casinos to launch or upgrade retail and digital sportsbook operations.  Kambi says that the partnerships give tribal casinos access to trading technology, odds services and betting interfaces that mirror what players already see at commercial sportsbooks, helping tribal venues compete more …

Wisconsin Senate advances tribal framework for mobile sports betting expansion

Wisconsin Senate advances tribal framework for mobile sports betting expansion

Published by skeptic

Wisconsin senators pushed forward a bill that could dramatically widen legal sports wagering across the state. In a 21–12 vote, the chamber agreed to the version previously approved by the Assembly on Tuesday (March 17), moving Assembly Bill 601 to the governor’s desk.  It aims to change how state law defines a “bet,” carving out a category for certain online sports wagers processed through systems located on tribal lands. Lawmakers backing the measure say the change would allow regulated mobile betting while staying within the framework of existing tribal gaming compacts. NEW: Wisconsin Senate votes 21–12 to concur with Assembly Bill 601, allowing mobile sports wagers placed in-state if servers are on tribal lands. @RWW pic.twitter.com/v1CiLn68zW — Suswati Basu (@suswatibasu) March 17, 2026 Under the legislation, a wager placed on a phone or computer anywhere inside Wisconsin could be treated as occurring on tribal land, as long as the betting platform’s servers sit on property controlled by a federally recognized tribe and operate under a valid compact with the state. By adjusting the statutory definition …

Kambi expands North Dakota footprint with tribal casino sportsbook deal agreement

Kambi expands North Dakota footprint with tribal casino sportsbook deal agreement

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Kambi Group plc is pushing further into the US market with a new multi-year agreement that brings its sports betting technology to North Dakota. The company has signed a deal with the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation to power on-site wagering at 4 Bears Casino and Lodge. The property, located in New Town along Lake Sakakawea, is the flagship gaming and entertainment venue owned and operated by the MHA Nation. Once the rollout is complete, Kambi will take over from the casino’s current third-party supplier and run the retail sportsbook using its own platform. Kambi is pleased to announce an on-property sports betting partnership with 4 Bears Casino and Lodge in North Dakota. Owned and operated by the Mandan, Hidasta and Arikara Nation, Kambi will replace 4 Bears Lodge and Casino's current third-party sports betting supplier, further… pic.twitter.com/edLFCS8VgN — Kambi (@KambiSports) February 23, 2026 The setup will include self-service kiosks, staffed over-the-counter betting terminals and “Bring Your Own Device” functionality, allowing customers to place wagers on their phones while inside the casino. The idea is …