The Indian Gaming Association (IGA) has brought tribal leaders from across the United States to Washington, D.C., as part of its 2026 Summer Legislative Summit, where discussions with senators and congressional staff are centered on concerns about prediction markets and their impact on tribal gaming rights.

Over two days of meetings on Capitol Hill, tribal representatives have focused on securing support for changes to the CLARITY Act, legislation currently under Senate review. The measure, previously known as the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act and introduced as House Resolution 3633, seeks to establish a federal framework for regulating digital assets and commodities, with oversight divided between the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The House of Representatives approved the bill nearly a year ago by a 294-134 vote. Tribal leaders now want senators to include provisions that would prevent federally regulated prediction markets from offering sports-related and casino-style event contracts. They also want assurances that the legislation will not override existing tribal, state, or federal gaming laws, including the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).

Summit Focuses on Sovereignty and Gaming Protections

According to the IGA, tribal governments view prediction markets as a direct challenge to long-established gaming frameworks. Association leaders argue that platforms offering sports-related event contracts are operating in a manner that conflicts with tribal gaming rights protected under federal law.

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act allows federally recognized tribes to conduct Class I and Class II gaming on tribal lands. Class III gaming, which includes sports betting, slot machines, and most traditional casino table games, requires agreements between tribes and their host states.

The association maintains that tribal exclusivity arrangements could be weakened if prediction markets continue to expand without additional legislative safeguards.

“Indian Country is united because this is one of the greatest threats tribal government gaming has faced in a generation,” said IGA Chairman David Z. Bean. “By relying on the fiction that sports bets are ‘swaps’, the prediction markets undermine tribal sovereignty, violate the government-to-government agreements tribes have built with their states, and threaten the revenues our tribal nations depend on to fund healthcare, education, housing, public safety, language preservation, and essential government services.”

The IGA has worked alongside commercial gaming interests, consumer protection groups, labor organizations, state governments, and tribal entities in efforts to challenge the expansion of prediction market gambling. The association says those efforts have gained traction in Congress, state legislatures, and the courts.

Calls for Senate Amendments Continue

During the summit, tribal leaders emphasized that their advocacy campaign has been underway for more than a year and remains focused on educating lawmakers about their concerns. The association also stressed the importance of direct engagement between tribal leaders and lawmakers.

“There is no substitute for tribal leaders telling their own stories,” Bean continued. “Lawmakers need to hear directly from the elected leaders whose communities depend on tribal gaming to provide essential government services. Our strength has always come from Indian Country speaking with one voice.”

IGA Executive Director Jason Giles told summit participants that recent legal proceedings and congressional discussions have increased attention on the issue. “The momentum is real,” Giles said. “We’re seeing encouraging developments in the courts, increased attention from senators, and growing concern from states and industries beyond Indian Country that are beginning to recognize the serious consequences of unregulated prediction market gambling in our society. Our work now is making sure Congress understands that this is not simply a gaming issue. It is an issue of tribal sovereignty, consumer protection, and preserving the integrity of federal and state gaming regulation.”

He added: “Every conversation we have on Capitol Hill moves this issue forward. Our greatest advocates are tribal leaders themselves. When senators hear directly from the governments and communities affected, they understand this is about protecting governmental revenues that support real people and real services.”

Several tribes have already filed federal lawsuits against companies including Kalshi and Robinhood, contending that their prediction market offerings violate federal law and tribal exclusivity arrangements.

The legislative debate has also unfolded against a backdrop of broader political attention. Following the death of Senator Lindsey Graham, a supporter of the CLARITY Act, President Donald Trump publicly urged the Senate to advance the legislation, describing it as important for maintaining U.S. leadership in emerging financial technologies.