TULSA, OK – Tribal leaders and national Indian Country organizations gathered at the United Indian Nations of Oklahoma (UINO) March Quarterly Meeting at River Spirit Casino Resort in Tulsa for a roundtable discussion addressing the growing threat of unregulated prediction market wagering and its potential impact on tribal sovereignty and the lawful gaming industry.
The discussion, led by the Indian Gaming Association (IGA), centered on the expansion of so-called prediction markets that are operating illegally under federal commodities law and on the role of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in permitting platforms to offer contracts linked to sports and other real-world events. Tribal leaders expressed concerns that these contracts act as gambling but function outside the established regulatory systems that oversee tribal and state gaming.
Roundtable participants included Christie Modlin, Secretary of the Indian Gaming Association; Jason Giles, Executive Director of the Indian Gaming Association; Jacob Keys, Chairman of the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma; Larry Wright, Jr., Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians; and Jamie Hummingbird, representing the National Tribal Gaming Regulators and Commissioners.
IGA leadership briefed tribal leaders on the rapidly evolving national response to prediction market platforms and the growing coalition of tribal governments, states, and gaming organizations working to address the issue.
“Tribal governments have built one of the most successful and responsibly regulated gaming industries in the world,” said Jason Giles, Executive Director of the Indian Gaming Association. “Prediction markets attempting to offer sports event contracts outside the established gaming regulatory framework threaten tribal sovereignty, consumer protections, and the economic foundation that supports tribal governments. Indian Country is working together with our partners across the gaming industry and with members of Congress to ensure these activities cannot bypass the law.”
The discussion highlighted several recent developments in Congress. On March 4, 2026, Representative Gabe Vasquez (D-NM) introduced an amendment during the House Agriculture Committee’s markup of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 to reaffirm that federally regulated derivative exchanges cannot offer event contracts tied to sporting events or casino-style gambling.
Continued outreach has been unwavering. Last week, the Indian Gaming Association, along with the California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA) and the Washington Indian Gaming Association (WIGA), issued a unified statement supporting the amendment, emphasizing that federal commodities law should not be used as a backdoor to authorize unlicensed sports betting nationwide.
Additional bipartisan legislation introduced by Representatives Blake Moore (R-UT) and Salud Carbajal (D-CA) would strengthen federal oversight of prediction markets by directing the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to prohibit event contracts tied to sports, elections, terrorism, and other activities where contracts function as gambling rather than legitimate financial instruments.
“Tribal leaders across the country are speaking with one voice on this issue,” said Christie Modlin, Secretary of the Indian Gaming Association. “Prediction markets represent a clear attempt to sidestep the laws that govern gaming in the U.S. Tribal governments have spent decades building strong regulatory systems that protect consumers and support tribal communities. We will continue working with Congress, states, and our industry partners to ensure those protections are not undermined.”
IGA leaders emphasized that Indian Country is working in partnership with tribal governments, national organizations such as the National Congress of American Indians, regional tribal gaming associations, gaming industry partners, including the American Gaming Association, and state leaders to build a coordinated national response.
The legal and regulated gaming industry supports hundreds of billions of dollars in economic activity nationwide, including more than $44 billion in tribal gaming revenue that funds tribal governments and essential services across Indian Country. Tribal leaders warned that allowing unregulated prediction markets to operate nationwide would undermine established regulatory systems and threaten the economic foundation that supports tribal communities.
The issue will also be a major focus at the upcoming Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention, taking place March 31 – April 3, 2026, in San Diego, California, where tribal leaders, regulators, policymakers, and industry experts will gather to address emerging challenges facing the tribal gaming industry and advance coordinated policy efforts to stop illegal prediction market wagering.
The roundtable discussion at the UINO quarterly meeting reflects the growing unity among tribal governments, national organizations, and gaming industry partners to defend tribal sovereignty and ensure that all forms of wagering operate within established regulatory frameworks.