Tag: Tribal gaming

Colorado tribe invokes federal Florida decision in suing state for right to offer statewide digital sports betting

On Monday (8 July) Colorado's Southern Ute tribe revealed during an American Indian Affairs interim study committee meeting that it has sued Colorado's governor, Jared Polis, and the state of Colorado. The tribe claims that the state has blocked its ability to offer digital sports betting.

Tribal chairman Melvin J Baker invoked the recent decision by the US Supreme Court not to hear the West Flagler vs the US Deptartment of the Interior case as clearing the way for the lawsuit. Baker said that because that case “held that the Seminole tribe was entitled to engage in statewide sports betting in Florida any legal objection to the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain from engaging in statewide sports betting is gone.”

The tribe filed suit in the US District Court for the District of Colorado on Monday. The court set a 10 October date for a scheduling and planning conference. From there, if the parties have not reached an agreement, the case would move forward in court.

Statewide d..

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Would a 1988 Congress have included digital betting in IGRA? Without a doubt.

Two weeks ago, the US Supreme Court decided to let be the status quo with regard to Florida sports betting. Since then, many in and around the online gambling world are pointing to a sea change and the expectation that tribes across the US will fast and furiously expand or change their offerings. But the view from inside Indian Country? Not so fast.

The US Supreme Court met on 13 June to decide whether to hear West Flagler Associates v. Haaland. The justices decided to pass, meaning a lower-court decision to allow the 2021 Florida-Seminole tribe compact will stand. That compact allows for what could be considered an expansion of the reach of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).

It allows for bets to be considered placed where they are received. In simple terms, any bet placed in the state of Florida is considered to be a bet placed on tribal lands if the bet runs through a server on tribal lands.

IGRA changed life for many tribes

IGRA was passed in 1988 and, at its core, gav..

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Weekend Report: MGM hacker arrested, Colorado tribes still shut out

Welcome to the Weekend Report, where iGB updates you with the stories you may have missed over the last few days.

Suspected MGM hacker arrested in Spain

In 2022, MGM confirmed that its loyalty programme had been hacked. On 14 June, the Spanish national police arrested a man they believe to be involved in the hack at Palma Airport. He was boarding a flight to Italy, reported Murcia Today.

The FBI’s Los Angeles field office issued the arrest warrant for the 22-year-old UK national, per CyberNews.

The group responsible for the cyberattack, Scattered Spider, allegedly hacked multiple major corporations. The man arrested is accused of hacking corporate accounts and allegedly controlled $27m worth of BitCoin. Caesars Entertainment was also hacked last autumn.

Colorado tribes still shut out of digital wagering

Nearly five years after Coloradans legalised digital sports betting and four-plus years after launch, the state’s tribes still aren’t live. Per the Colorado Sun, the state has ..

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Howe: California sports betting will be done “with and through” state tribes

FanDuel CEO Amy Howe extended an olive branch to California tribes in a panel discussion Tuesday (9 April ) morning at the Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention, acknowledging that any future of California sports betting will be done “with and through” tribal operators.

Howe was joined onstage by CNIGA chairman James Siva as well as Jacob Mejia, director of public affairs for Pechanga Development Corporation, both of whom lauded the CEO for being willing to engage in such discussion after the two sides’ previous vitriol.

FanDuel, DraftKings and other commercial operators burned hundreds of millions in 2022 by lobbying for and promoting Proposition 27, an initiative that would have legalised online sports betting in California but was soundly rejected by state voters.

Tribes did offer their own initiative – Proposition 26 – that was also rejected by voters, however tribal leaders have maintained that the overall goal was to oppose and defeat Proposition 27 rather than promote and p..

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CNIGA’s Siva loves a good compromise; wants to expand role as tribal leader to IGA

James Siva just wants everyone to get along.

As the man who held together the disparate group of tribes that make up California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA) when not one, but two commercial groups tried to take the lead on wagering in California, it seems he has a knack for negotiation.

“I think James has a unique ability for being in a leadership position and listening to the different sides of everything, giving tribal leadership a chance to hear both sides and come to a compromise,” Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians tribal council member Dennis Hendricks said.

Siva said Hendricks was a mentor when he first joined the CNIGA executive committee.

Siva, the current CNIGA chairman, is hoping that is the kind of leadership that the Indian Gaming Association (IGA), which meets beginning Monday (8 April) in Anaheim, is looking for. Siva announced his intent to run for vice-chairman at the Western Indian Gaming Conference in February. He’ll be running against incumbent Dav..

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IGA executive director confident of California sports betting with tribal help

Jason Giles, executive director of the Indian Gaming Association (IGA), believes there could yet be online sports betting in California, although he also believes the help of tribes is vital to any legalisation.

Another attempt to legalise sports betting in California failed in January after two ballots aiming to grant tribes exclusive rights were scrapped following fierce tribal opposition in the state.

Eagle1 Acquisitions Corp, the group of backers for a proposition to legalise sports betting in California, had made several amendments to its ballot initiative in December in a bid to gain increased tribal support, however the efforts ultimately failed.

In response, the California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA) stated the failure should serve as a warning against future attempts to legalise sports betting in the state without tribal involvement.

Jason Giles, Executive director of the indian gaming association, sees operator engagement with the tribes as a positive

Howev..

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Alabama advances scaled-back gambling bills with sports betting excluded

The Alabama senate has passed a pair of bills that would see lottery and state-regulated gambling legalised, although statewide sports betting has been excluded.

Alabama lawmakers passed HB151 and HB152 in February. In its original form, HB151 would have legalised retail and online sports betting, as well as a state lottery and casinos in areas of the state that have bingo-type games. HB152, meanwhile, was to create a state lottery and gaming commission to regulate gambling in the state.

However, HB151 stalled in the senate, with sports betting and casinos now removed from the bill. The amended HB151 passed by a vote of 22 to 11 on Thursday, reaching the 21 votes required to advance. Meanwhile, HB152 also passed.

The bills still include lottery. Additionally, the bills would authorise the governor to negotiate a compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians (PBCI) to regulate gaming activities on tribal lands. The PBCI operates the three existing casinos in Alabama.

Senator Greg Al..

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Caesars first to launch sports betting in North Carolina with tribal partnership

Caesars Entertainment has become the first operator to launch legal online sports betting in North Carolina, rolling out its sportsbook in partnership with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

North Carolina is not due to launch full-scale legal sports betting until 11 March. However, Caesars’ deal with the tribe and the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act has made it possible for the operator to go live ahead of this date.

Players can place bets at two Cherokee-run casinos: Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel. Betting is also permitted on the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ tribal lands.

caesars’ tribal deal will see the operator first to go live

Caesars’ online sports betting offering will be extended across all North Carolina when the market fully launches next week. The operator has been running retail sportsbooks in the state for a number of years, with the online offering to complement these.

“We’re thankful to be able to offer wage..

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Tiers and turbulence in US sports betting

The US sports betting sector has grown rapidly, but Paul Girvan sees trouble on the horizon for the early leaders.

The rapid development of US sports betting has been astounding. Currently some 32 states have legalised some form of sports betting and, of this number, 28 provide either mobile or online access.

Within the 32, there are five states where tribal operators provide the only betting option. To date the markets have been characterised by a hierarchy of operators that have gained access primarily via partnerships with land-based casino operators, both tribal and commercial.

A further eight states are considering the issue and could pass legislation in the coming year. Beyond these is a disparate group of states that have been resistant to passing sports betting legislation – although some have been actively considering the issue.

Among these are three powerhouses of tribal gaming; Minnesota, Oklahoma (with its proximity to Texas) and the behemoth of California. Trouble, ho..

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Sports Betting Alliance opposes California sports betting ballots

The Sports Betting Alliance (SBA), a group of leading US gambling operators, has declared its opposition to two sports betting ballots in California, saying it will not financially support either initiative.

Both ballots would give tribes exclusive rights to offer retail and online sports betting in California. They were filed with the state’s attorney-general in October 2023.

CALIFORNIA’S SPORTS BETTING BALLOTS WERE FILED WITH THE STATE’S ATTORNEY-GENERAL IN OCTOBER 2023

The two ballots name Reeve Collins, co-founder and CEO of Pala Interactive, as the contact for media inquiries. Pala Interactive was founded by the Pala Band of Mission Indians in 2013. It was acquired by Boyd Gaming in November 2022.

Authors of the ballots have been seeking financial support for signature gathering from sports betting operators. However, SBA members – BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel and Fanatics Sportsbooks – have said they will not provide funding.

SBA blasts proposed ballots

SBA spokesperson Nat..

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Maine sports betting handle exceeds $44.0m in December

Players in Maine spent $44.0m (£34.5m/€40.2m) betting on sports in December, while the Pine Tree State’s two licensed operators – DraftKings and Caesars – generated $4.4m in adjusted gross receipts.

Total handle for December amounted to $44.5m. This was 18.4% higher than the $37.6m spent in Maine during November, the state’s first month of legal betting.

Maine launched its regulated market on 3 November 2023, with December being the first full month of legal sports wagering.

maine launched its regulated market in november 2023

Bettors won $39.9m from betting in December. After discounting these winnings, $107,478 in federal excise and $132,376 worth of voided and cancelled bets, adjusted gross receipts of $4.4m were left. This was 4.4% lower than $4.6m in the opening month.

The State of Maine Gambling Control Unit added that legal betting generated $437,884 in tax. Both DraftKings and Caesars pay tax at a rate of 10% of adjusted gross receipts.

DraftKings the Maine player

So fa..

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Amendments submitted for California sports betting ballot

Eagle1 Acquisitions Corp, the group of backers for a proposition to legalise sports betting in California, has made several amendments to its ballot initiative in an effort to gain further tribal support.

Tabled in October, the Sports Wagering Regulation and Tribal Gaming Protection Act, would allow for legal betting. If approved, the ballot would amend Article IV, section 19 of the California constitution. This will grant tribes exclusive rights to offer retail and online betting.

The initial version of the ballot set out several measures. These included tribes submitting 15% of adjusted sports betting gross gaming revenue into a tribal wagering revenue sharing trust fund.

Tribes would also contribute 10% of their adjusted sports wagering GGR into the California homelessness and mental health fund. It was also stated that tribes would need to partner sports betting operators, which would operate as vendors. These will require approval from both the Tribal Gaming Agency and Califor..

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