California Gambling Operators Look to Tribes on Sports Betting

FanDuel Working to Improve Indian Relations

There’s no question the tribal California gambling operators would like to see sports betting in the Golden State. But the tribes want sports betting on their terms. Anything that resembles outsiders trying to dictate how things should be done will get fierce pushback.

That was evident in 2022 when the tribes fought back against a ballot initiative to legalize sports betting in California without their input. It was a costly fight, with each of the two sides spending roughly $250 million. The Sports Betting measure was defeated with more than 80% of the state voting against.

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But FanDuel appears to have learned from its mistakes. The company is recruiting those from within the Native American community to join. FanDuel has hired Rikki Tanenbaum, from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in California, in November as a senior vice president for strategic partnerships.

In January, Frank Sizemore, also from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, joined as a vice president for strategic partnerships. On Monday, FanDuel hired former Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission E. Sequoyah Simermeyer, also as a vice president for strategic partnerships.

The goal of FanDuel is to have those who understand the tribal concerns. With Simermeyer, FanDuel attracted one of the most respected tribal gaming leaders around. He’s respected nationwide, including by the California gambling operators.

“Sequoyah Simermeyer has been at the forefront of shaping and safeguarding tribal gaming, focusing on priority issues and public policy for close to 25 years,” Tanenbaum said. “We are very honored to welcome Chairman Simermeyer to the FanDuel leadership team, as he brings a career dedicated to addressing tribal economic development.

With his guidance we look forward to learning how to best partner with and support native sovereign nations across the country.”

California the Big Gambling Betting Prize

Sports betting is growing at a huge rate, but presently California is not one of the states where sports betting is legal. California and Texas are the two big states not to have sports betting. But online gambling in the state is also a big topic.

One of the most frequent internet searches is, “Is online gambling legal in California?” It’s currently not legal. But things can quickly change in the betting industry. You don’t need a gambling odds calculator to figure that out. The tribes can make or break nearly any gambling bill in the state.

Any gambling bill in California is going to need the approval of the tribes. Without it, gambling bills are unlikely to go anywhere. That was the case in 2023 when an attempt was made to get sports betting on the 2024 general ballot by a voter initiative. But tribal leaders were quick to speak out against the measures.

California Nations Indian Gaming Association Chairman James Siva said, “The California Nations Indian Gaming Association is deeply disappointed that the sponsors of the two recently filed initiatives did not first reach out to the State’s largest tribal gaming association for consultation and input. Decisions driving the future of tribal governments should be made by tribal governments.”

What’s Next?

FanDuel is hoping its recent hires will help heal some wounds created in 2022. The California gambling operators can have faith the new hires aren’t out to fleece them. But instead, they are willing to work with the tribes to bring sports betting to California. The newly hired individuals have experience with tribal concerns. That can only be viewed as a good thing moving forward.

For Gambling News, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.


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