The National Indian Gaming Commission reported $43.9bn in tribal casino gross gaming revenue for fiscal 2024, up 4.6% from $41.9bn in 2023. The figure drew on audited statements from 532 gaming operations owned by 243 federally recognised tribes across 29 states, the commission said.
The revenue figures give operators and regulators a measure of tribal casino market performance across 29 states.
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It was reported that NIGC figures showed tribal gaming revenue rose by $2.3bn to a record level last year. The report also described declining sports betting revenue, which industry executives attributed to prediction markets.
The Cayuga Nation has sued Caesars Entertainment, alleging its online sports betting app accepted wagers from users on the Nation’s reservation in New York without authorisation. The Nation says the activity breaches federal gaming law; Caesars’ position is not given in the report. DraftKings and FanDuel have agreed to block access on the reservation, according to the report.
The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa sued the National Indian Gaming Commission to prevent action that could close its Crystal Shores Casino in Benzie County, Michigan. The NIGC cites the “one-bite rule”; the tribe argues the restriction is not authorised by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act or other federal law. The tribe seeks a ruling against the rule, reversal of the agency’s notice of violation and ordinance disapproval, and an end to further enforcement action.
Indian Gaming Association chairman David Bean and California Nations Indian Gaming Association chairman James Siva said prediction markets threaten tribal and state regulatory authority. Siva described sports event contracts as illegal sports betting, while Bean criticised the absence of a new National Indian Gaming Commission chair; the source says the commission has lacked a chair for more than two years.
The National Indian Gaming Commission is holding a listening session with tribal leaders and regulators at a conference in San Diego to gather views on sports prediction markets, the commission said. Vice Chair Jeannie Hovland said the NIGC would not comment on whether it would take a position. The commission previously held a tribal roundtable in January.