Summary:
- The National Council of Legislators from Gaming States wants to see more open communication with tribes.
- The request comes in the context of over 250 out of the 500 sovereign Native tribes recognized by the federal government operating gaming facilities.
- Together, the tribes generated $41.9 billion in 2023.
In fiscal year 2023, over 250 of the 500 sovereign Native tribes recognized by the federal government operated gaming facilities.
Together, the tribes managed to generate $41.9 billion during the same year.
Now, according to Indian gaming pros, many tribes are expected to propose mobile-betting deals that resemble the hub-and-spoke system that has been recently adopted by Florida.
This makes open talks with the tribes a must, as explained by John Sparks, chair of the Cherokee Nation Gaming Commission.
Each Tribe “Is Its Own Entity”
Saturday’s committee discussion on the final day of the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States’ summer meeting that was held at Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh was joined in by Washington state Rep. Chris Stearns.
Stearns, who is the former chair of the Washington State Gambling Commission, stated “No matter what state you’re in, there may be a strong interest in tribes in those states to pursue that”, referring to the mobile-betting agreements similar to hub-and-spoke systems.
The co-chair of the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) Indian Committee led the discussion together with fellow Washington state Rep. Shelley Kloba.
Cherokee Nation Gaming Commission’s chair was joined in by Sequoyah Simermeyer, former chair of the National Indian Gaming Commission and FanDuel’s current vice president of strategic partnerships, and private practice lawyer Loretta Tuell.
“All the nations are different in size, culture, location”, Sparks argued, adding that operators who do business “in Indian country” must understand that while there are plenty of similarities between tribes, each tribe ”is its own entity”.
Tuell, who used to work with the National Indian Gaming Commission, added that tribes “want a seat at the table” and if they are not granted one, they will receive the message that they are not wanted.
She used the argument of California voters’ 2022 rejection of the measure that would have allowed mobile sports betting, which was opposed by most tribes because it would have made their gaming exclusivity vanish.
Honest Communication Between Tribes and Governments, Mandatory
Tuell added California hosts 109 tribes and tribal casinos accounting for $11 billion while Simermeyer explained tribes feature leadership structures similar to legislatures and community councils, responsible for deciding on policies and objectives.
Accordingly,
State and local officials must understand tribes’ individual goals when negotiating gambling compacts or other matters
Tuell wishes to see honest communications between governments and tribes at an official level, which would smoothen the path to economic development that would benefit everyone.
Sparks also mentioned Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt’s “overtly hostile and antagonistic” attitude toward tribes in the last six years, which featured actions like inappropriately signing compacts with other tribes, which led to him being sued by state Senate leaders.
According to reports from the media, Stitt’s office spent close to $2 million from gaming payments to the state to pay off legal bills for these tribe-related disputes.