In a powerful address at the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Executive Council meeting on February 10, 2026, Indian Gaming Association (IGA) Chairman David Bean issued a blunt warning to tribal leaders: the greatest threats to the $43.9 billion tribal gaming industry are no longer brick-and-mortar competitors, but the unregulated expansion of illegal sweepstakes sites and sports prediction markets.
Protecting a $43.9 Billion Economic Engine
Chairman Bean highlighted the record-breaking success of tribal gaming, citing the National Indian Gaming Commission’s (NIGC) latest reporting. Gross gaming revenue (GGR) for FY 2024 reached an unprecedented 43,900,000,000, a year-over-year increase of approximately 2,000,000,000.
“Indian gaming remains the most successful economic development tool ever employed by tribal governments,” Bean stated. “It provides a consistent and stable source of revenue that supports our communities, our elders, and our youth.”
The Loophole Threat: Sweepstakes and Prediction Markets
The core of Bean’s message focused on products bypassing the traditional tribal-state regulatory structures. He argued that foreign companies are exploiting loopholes in new technology to offer sweepstakes-style gambling and sports prediction markets, often mislabeled as financial products, in jurisdictions where they are not authorized.
“Tribes and states are distinct sovereigns. They should be deciding gambling public policy, not foreign companies exploiting loopholes in new technology. These are gambling products and the next step will be casino-style games, if we do not act.”
David Bean urged for a federal legislative fix to amend the Commodity Exchange Act, blocking sports wagering through prediction markets. Invoking his Puyallup heritage, he called for a unified advocacy front: “We must move like a canoe society… we keep paddling together.”
