California Tribes Revive Talk Of Legalizing Sports Betting, With 2028 The Likely Target

The tribes in California are currently engaged in discussions about approaches to legalizing sports betting in the state, but a possible ballot initiative may still be a long way off.

California Nations Indian Gaming Association Chair James Siva, speaking at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas this week, confirmed that tribes are actively revisiting the idea of tribal-led sports betting. There is growing consensus among tribal leaders that any future initiative will likely involve a combination of in-person and online betting, as well as provisions for online casinos.

The headline news came when Siva addressed the potential timing. He said that while the tribes are considering a possible measure for 2026, a more likely target would be 2028.

Siva was part of a panel discussion titled “Tribal Sovereignty and Sports Betting: A Delicate Balance,” joined by other tribal leaders from across the country. Among them were Rebecca George, chair of the Washington Indian Gaming Association; Andy Platto, executive director of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association; and Matt Morgan, board chairman of the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association.

As the California tribes work toward a unified proposal, one issue under discussion is how to balance in-person sports betting at tribal casinos and online betting and gaming. Siva indicated that any initiative the tribes put forward would almost certainly include some form of online component.

However, he acknowledged that achieving agreement among California’s more than 100 tribes, each with its own interests on the issue, would require extensive negotiations. A meeting to be held this month could pave the way for formal talks.

The cards are on the table

California’s gaming landscape is unique, with Indian tribes holding exclusive rights to offer gambling under state law and the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. However, the battle to introduce sports betting has been a long and contentious one.

Efforts to legalize sports wagering through voter initiatives have so far been unsuccessful. This is, in part, due to competing interests between the tribes, commercial gaming operators, and local card rooms.

In the meantime, California tribes scored a significant legal victory this month when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that authorizes tribes to sue local card rooms. This legal exception is crucial for the tribes, who argue that the card rooms have been infringing on their exclusive rights to gambling by using third-party proposition player services (TPPPS). These third-party companies act as dealers in casino games, a role that tribes contend violates their exclusivity in offering such games.

For years, tribes and card rooms have coexisted uneasily in California’s gaming world. The turning point came in 2007, when card rooms began using TPPPS to operate certain table games. The tribes saw this as a direct challenge to their exclusive gaming rights, but because of their sovereign nation status, they lacked the legal authority to pursue lawsuits against the card rooms. The new legislation grants them a one-time opportunity to file a lawsuit by April 1, 2025.