TULSA, OK – Indian Gaming Association (IGA) Chairman David Z. Bean continued IGA’s national outreach on prediction-market gambling, telling tribal leaders at the United Indian Nations of Oklahoma (UINO) Quarterly Meeting that Indian Country must remain united in protecting tribal sovereignty and the legal foundation of Indian gaming.
Speaking alongside Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA) Chairman Matthew Morgan at the University of Tulsa, Bean discussed the coordinated effort among tribal nations, Native organizations, gaming associations, state officials, industry partners, and congressional leaders.
“It takes a team effort to address any threat to Indian Country,” said Bean. “It takes a team effort to address any existential threat against tribal sovereignty. And that’s exactly what these prediction markets present: an existential threat to tribal sovereignty, to Indian gaming.”
Bean said prediction markets have expanded into sports betting while attempting to operate under federal commodities law rather than the established federal, tribal, and state gaming regulatory framework. For IGA, the issue extends beyond gaming revenue to jurisdiction, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, and whether outside companies can offer gambling in tribal and state jurisdictions without the consent of the governments with legal authority to regulate it.
“We shouldn’t have to first demonstrate the negative impacts of any illegal activity,” said Bean. “All we’re asking Congress to do is demand the CFTC enforce their laws.”
Tribal leaders have traveled to Washington, D.C. throughout the summer to educate members of Congress about prediction markets, the CLARITY Act, and their implications for tribal sovereignty and regulated gaming.
“When tribal leaders show up in D.C., it is noticed. It has great impact,” said Bean.
The discussion also focused on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) engagement with Indian Country. The agency has invited representatives from 16 tribal organizations to a September 14 roundtable on prediction markets following year-long requests from IGA for tribal consultation and repeated calls from senators and tribal advocates for the agency to engage Indian Country.
The late IGA Chairman Ernie Stevens, Jr. began seeking CFTC consultation as the issue emerged in early 2025. Bean said the agency agreed to consultation in April 2025 before abruptly cancelling it without explanation. After becoming chairman, Bean renewed those efforts and eventually secured a meeting with CFTC leadership, which he described as a “check-the-box type meeting.”
IGA maintains that inviting tribal organizations to a roundtable cannot substitute for formal government-to-government consultation with sovereign tribal governments.
United Indian Nations of Oklahoma Executive Director Margo Gray said UINO will continue elevating the issue for its member tribal nations and working with national and regional partners.
“United Indian Nations of Oklahoma continues to elevate the issue of illegal gaming markets that infringe on the sovereignty of our tribal nations,” said Gray. “Together, we continue to push for action by state and federal lawmakers to exercise the appropriate oversight.”
IGA has also commissioned an economic impact study and continues educating lawmakers about employment, government revenue, responsible gaming protections, and the governmental nature of Indian gaming. Bean emphasized, however, that the economic argument remains secondary to sovereignty and whether federal law and tribal jurisdiction will be respected.
He also warned that the implications could extend beyond sports betting.
“If you look at the CLARITY Act in depth, you see it opens up the door for casino-style gambling on decentralized finance platforms,” said Bean.
IGA continues advancing legislative, regulatory, and legal strategies, including preparation for litigation that could ultimately reach the U.S. Supreme Court. The IGA-NCAI Taskforce, working with the Washington Indian Gaming Association and other partners, is preparing an amicus brief intended to give tribal nations across Indian Country an opportunity to stand together.
Bean said IGA will continue engaging Congress and federal agencies and working with tribal leaders and Native organizations to protect tribal gaming and sovereignty.
