'It's the wave of the future': Sports betting in Indian Country

Wednesday, September 26, 2018  

A landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision opened the door for tribes and states to offer sports betting and Dave Palermo has an update on recent developments in Indian Country.

Writing for Global Gaming Magazine, Palermo reports that the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is the only tribe with a sports book in the wake of the ruling. But other tribes across the country are interested, according to tribal and state officials.

“You have to concede that’s a transition that is going to happen, eventually,” says Chris Stearns, a citizen of the Navajo Nation who serves on the Washington State Gambling Commission told Palermo for the in-depth story. “It’s the wave of the future.”

So far, only Delaware, New Jersey, Mississippi and West Virginia have joined Nevada with live sports betting. Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and New York have passed laws to do the same though operations are not yet up and running at this point.

"As states and sovereign tribal nations bring sports betting out of the shadows, we can expect these many aforementioned benefits to grow while also beginning to eradicate the illegal market," an official with the American Gaming Association will tell members of Congress at a hearing in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.

Though tribes are not subject to state law, their ability to offer sports betting is linked to state law and to their Class III gaming compacts. So some tribes are waiting to see what happens at the state level.

“We’ll explore all our options,” John Apacki, the general manager for the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel, owned and operated by the Meskwaki Nation in Iowa, told Palermo.

But others do not need to wait on the state. That's the case with the Spirit Lake Nation, whose gaming compact with North Dakota authorizes sports betting in the event the Supreme Court addressed the issue, Palermo reported. The tribe is considering a small operation at its Spirit Lake Casino & Resort.

Dave Palermo: Westward Ho (Global Gaming Magazine September 26, 2018)
Federal hearing on sports betting to occur Thursday (The Las Vegas Review-Journal September 26, 2018)

Hearing: Post-PASPA: An Examination of Sports Betting in America (September 27, 2018)

Syllabus | Opinion | Concurrence [Thomas] | Concurrence / Dissent [Breyer] | Dissent [Ginsburg]

Oral Argument Transcript: Christie v. NCAA / New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, Inc. v. NCAA (December 4, 2017)

Chickasaw Nation lands first-ever casino partnership with NFL team (September 7, 2018)
Mississippi Choctaws become first in Indian Country with sports betting (September 3, 2018)
Winnebago tribal corporation makes another go at gaming (August 16, 2018)
'On the road to recovery': Sports betting raises concerns about addiction (July 13, 2018)
Seminole Tribe looks to offer sports betting at new Hard Rock facility (July 12, 2018)
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians announces sports betting at casinos (June 13, 2018)
Delaware becomes first state with sports betting after Supreme Court ruling (June 6, 2018)
Cronkite News: Media prepares for a new era with sports betting (May 30, 2018)
Stateline: Problem gambling a concern as sports betting fever spreads (May 29, 2018)
Online gaming also on the table as Connecticut negotiates with tribes (May 24, 2018)
Connecticut governor seeks to negotiate sports betting with tribes (May 22, 2018)
Tribes seek a seat at table as states look into sports betting (May 21, 2018)
Tribes continue to weigh impact of Supreme Court ruling on sports betting (May 18, 2018)
Oneida Nation already lining up sports betting after Supreme Court ruling (May 15, 2018)
Supreme Court opens the door for sports betting for states and for tribes (May 14, 2018)
Cronkite News: Supreme Court decision could open doors to legalized sports betting (May 2, 2018)
Supreme Court takes up sports betting case whose outcome could impact tribes (December 4, 2017)
Gaming group promotes tribal interests in Supreme Court sports betting case (September 5, 2017)
Indian Country warms up to legislation to repeal federal ban on sports betting (August 21, 2017)
National Indian Gaming Association clarifies position on sports betting coalition (August 8, 2017)
National Indian Gaming Association backs effort to legalize sports betting (August 1, 2017)