TRIBAL GAMING IN FOCUS
Three Tribes File Federal Suit Against Kalshi, Robinhood
A group of three California tribes — Blue Lake Rancheria, Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians, and Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians — have filed a federal lawsuit against Kalshi and Robinhood in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, seeking an injunction to block the exchanges from offering sports events contracts on tribal lands.
The suit represents the first direct action taken against Kalshi by a gaming entity since it began expanding into sports contracts earlier this year. Thus far, the platform has primarily been involved in litigation with states and the federal government.
Tribes across the country contend that the contracts involve gaming, and therefore are being offered illegally in violation of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
“While masquerading as novel commodities and futures products, these event contracts are, substantively, nothing more than illegal, unregulated wagers on the outcomes of sporting events,” the suit said, per InGame.
Scotts Valley Band Accuses Fellow CA Tribe of Thwarting DOI Approval
In an amended complaint filed by the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians in its suit against the Department of Interior, the tribe is accusing another California group, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, of sabotaging its Vallejo casino proposal with heavy lobbying efforts, according to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
The project was approved by the DOI in early January, in the final days of former president Joe Biden’s administration. But in March, the DOI suddenly withdrew the approval, a decision that the Scotts Valley Band says was “drafted and delivered in close coordination with White House-connected lobbyists representing a competing tribal casino.” The Yocha Dehe operate Cache Creek Casino Resort in Brooks.
According to analysis from the Press Democrat, the Yocha Dehe has spent a total of $2.3 million across three lobbying firms that lobbied the Trump administration to rescind the casino approval. Historical ties to the land are a major sticking point, as the proposed site is about 70 miles from its existing offices.
Scotts Valley Chairman Shawn Davis said in a statement that his tribe “has been blindsided by political interference designed to protect a competitor. This isn’t just about a gaming project. It’s about fairness, tribal sovereignty, and the fundamental right of our people to move forward without being undermined by backroom lobbying.”
Catawba Two Kings Partners with Panthers
Catawba Two Kings Casino has partnered with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers for a branding deal that includes stadium signage, promotional booths and more. The deal will sunset with the completion of the tribe’s permanent casino, which is slated for 2027.
“Catawba Two Kings Casino’s new partnership with the Carolina Panthers is a wonderful opportunity for us to share the incredible experience of attending a game at Bank of America Stadium with our top casino patrons while promoting the casino to the Panthers fanbase in Charlotte and throughout the Carolinas,” Trent Troxel, vice president of the Catawba Nation Gaming Authority, said in a statement. “We are grateful to Tepper Sports & Entertainment and the Carolina Panthers for this partnership.”
