Each year, the impact of Tribal gaming can be felt throughout the industry and is routinely exemplified during the Indian Gaming Association (IGA) Tradeshow & Convention, hosted from San Diego, California. Global Gaming Insider was once again on-site to take part in the conference, which carried two distinct themes across the 2026 rendition. 

Following the unfortunate passing of IGA Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr. on September 26, this year’s tradeshow would represent the first to be held without his leadership. The Association held numerous events and celebrations in honor of his legacy, including having members of the Stevens family take part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the expo hall floor, and the Chairman’s Sovereign Warrior Luncheon. For the first time in IGA history, the conference also hosted the Chairman Stevens IGA Tradeshow Wellness Walk/Run. 

To extend its efforts in honoring the Chairman’s incredible legacy, IGA also unveiled a new statue in honor of Chairman Stevens Jr., cementing his ever-lasting presence across Tribal gaming. Without question, IGA ensured the memory and spirit of Chairman Stevens Jr. lived on not only at this year’s conference, but will continue to do so for generations. 

The second theme that took over the entire week of IGA was prediction markets, and the seemingly unrelenting threat operators play to Tribal sovereignty. All four of the opening panels hosted at IGA covered the fight against prediction markets and featured speakers such as IGA Chairman David Bean, Conference Chair Victor Rocha and California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA) Chairman James Siva.

Rocha even managed to offer a new nickname for Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Michael Selig, now dubbed ‘Safe Space Selig’ by the IGA Conference Chair based on his belief Selig avoids interviews where tough questions are asked. Bean hosted a press conference with IGA Executive Director Jason Giles on March 31, claiming prediction markets are “no innovation, this is illegal gambling dressed up as finance.” 

“We have to let folks know they are not protected through these illegal online prediction markets. This is an overreach and outright blatant disrespect of Tribal sovereignty.”
The Chairman also claimed that during discussions held with federal lawmakers, IGA was told such officials were in a “tough position” due to having to “choose between friends.”

“Our respectful pushback to that was this isn’t a choice between friends, this is a choice between following the law or ignoring the law,” Bean said. “When you pull the curtain back here, it’s just going to be a bunch of people counting money; it’s a cash grab. We do not want to wait for what started out as a brushfire, but is now a wildfire, to remain unchecked.”

During a separate panel held on April 1, Siva confirmed Tribes are “in a really tough spot” with prediction markets, but “can’t afford to lose the fight.” When questioned as to whether a future exists where Tribes would compete in event contract trading, the CNIGA Chairman admitted “we will do what we have to do” if found on the losing side in court. 

A key insight made by Rocha discussed how the impact of sweepstakes casinos and prediction markets have delayed the integration of online gambling across Tribal communities. “We would have done it already if it wasn’t for some bad actors. We were playing offense and then all of a sudden we had someone jump in and grab our ball and go ‘we want to play too,’” Rocha said. 

“There was a plan in place, it was interrupted and the new plan is to get it ready for 2028 to start bringing in sports betting and stuff. We see the future… this is short-term and we will win the future.”

While IGA showcased the unity Tribal organizations have built in establishing heightened regulations around prediction markets, operators have still managed to grow even when facing legal pushback. If state, federal and now Tribal regulatory bodies are able to find common ground, however, an extended coalition against prediction markets could present significant opposition to the CFTC.