IGA panel: ‘Unknown’ prediction markets represent ‘greatest threat’ to California and Tribal gaming
CNIGA Chairman James Siva and Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians Chairman Isaiah Vivanco shared what they believe are the greatest threats to Tribes located in California.
Speakers:
– James Siva, Chairman of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA)
– Isaiah Vivanco, Chairman of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians
At the Indian Gaming Association (IGA) conference in San Diego, California, regulators from the state expressed their greatest concerns regarding Tribal gaming, and what type of threats are currently being faced.
“Over the course of California’s history of gaming, especially in Tribal areas, there have been countless threats to the sanctity of gaming, most recently being DFS 2.0 or sweepstakes, but no matter what California remains as the birthplace of Tribal gaming,” CNIGA Chairman James Siva said.
“We ended up looking at these operators and saying ‘we don’t need gaming to survive, do you?’ And we’re not afraid to really challenge these threats and ensure they don’t take a greater effect in Tribal communities.”
Siva directly pointed out recent efforts made by the CFTC in prediction markets, and how CNIGA plans to bring together numerous Tribal and gaming organizations to fight back against the legislation during a meeting set for late April 2025. According to Siva, he had to give himself and these organizations a “crash course” in prediction markets, and how nearly every Tribal regulator agrees this represents the greatest threat to Tribal gaming today.
If an agreement with lawmakers and possibly the CFTC cannot be reached at the meeting, Siva confirmed that a lawsuit may be awaiting operators that work with prediciton markets no matter its size, including those such as FanDuel and DraftKings.
Like many panels held during the IGA conference, Siva shared how mentoring the future generations of Tribes is as essential as battling the threats seen today. He also noted that, even when it comes to a Tribe-by-Tribe basis, fighting for one’s own people is the most important work a regulator in his role can do.
Isaiah Vivanco, Chairman of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians, has worked with Siva in CNIGA efforts to combat potential threats to California Tribal gaming, and how his own efforts have seen his Tribe end up in lawsuits with the state.
“We ended up suing the Governor and the state government for our freedom to conduct gaming in ways that we desired and without being overseen by a larger body,” Vivanco said.
“Now we are able to offer gambling or other forms of gaming in whatever way we wish and have earned that freedom from California which I believe every Tribe should have the independence to carry out.”
Good to know: The Lytton Rancheria of California Tribe filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Interior and Bureau of Indian Affairs on February 24 to challenge the “rushed and improper” approval of a casino project for the Koi Nation of Northern California
On a federal level, Siva spoke on how quickly the current US administration has already issued threats to Tribal gaming, warning those in the room that even if they aren’t seeing trickle down effects in their Tribes, they are quickly approaching.
Referencing the decision to purchase land that will be meant for drilling in Alaska, Siva questioned the disparity of support the US government has shown toward Tribes since President Trump took office during January 2025.
“You have to be checking your email, your phone, everything on a daily basis because everything keeps changing,” Siva said.
“Governor Newsom (in California) has been one of the most pro-Tribal Governors we’ve seen in recent history, and yet, during his tenure, we’ve had more compact disagreements than ever. And with this new federal government, there is just a complete disregard for prior agreements and established understandings.”
The two agreed that the largest threat to California and Tribal gaming within the state may be the country’s own government, combined with new verticals that have shown little care for operating in a regulatory manner.
It seems as if neither plans to back down from these concerns in any way, and based on their earlier responses, an impasse could be awaiting California regulators when it attempts to oversee Tribal gaming.
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