CEO Special: IGA's David Z. Bean defines sovereign success in Tribal gaming

Sometimes, life can be like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get... For Indian Gaming Association (IGA) Chairman David Bean, the phrase couldn’t ring more true. Growing up as a member of the Puyallup Tribe in Washington State, Chairman Bean learned early on the difficulties of attempting to generate economic self-sufficiency, as well as the mistreatment those living in the reservation faced from neighboring communities.

Despite federal governments’ intentions to “kill the Indian and save the child,” Chairman Bean’s Puyallup Tribe managed to expand upon Native American culture and history by supporting the classes at the Tahoma Indian Center that led to the development of the Chief Leschi Elementary School. There, the future IGA Chairman learned of various Tribal songs, traditions and values from reservations across the US, but was also “aware” enough to question where much of the same lineage rested for his own homeland. The Puyallup Tribe was no stranger to the hostility many reservations faced when attempting to establish independence in the US, forcing an alternative type of “immersion process” for those of Chairman Bean’s generation. 

Clocking in early

While the Washington native would eventually come to learn of Puyallup songs and dances in his later scholastic years, his childhood knowledge of Tribal values had been through a more hands-on approach. Before turning 10 years old, Chairman Bean sold his first carton of cigarettes (Camel non-filters) while assisting at his mother’s smoke shop, even recalling having to count out the change for a $5 bill on the $3.75 charge. 

“I’ve been making sales ever since,” Chairman Bean tells Global Gaming Insider. “The rest is history. But being an entrepreneur family, selling cigarettes, selling fireworks, it was cyclical. There were challenges from the State Government (and) the Federal Government against our right to engage in commerce or regulate commerce. Me seeing our rights being trampled on, not respected or recognized, in the middle of it I didn’t understand the magnitude. But in reflection, I knew that we were exercising sovereignty. As a child, we’re trying to regain our songs, language, dances and way of life, so that was my lesson very early on. That was my exposure to Tribal sovereignty.”

Along the way, Chairman Bean was rasied by the “badass” women of the Puyallup Tribe, who had no issues starting their own means of economic self-sufficiency – even during a period where female leadership was still quite rare. Through his time at the smoke shop, working firework stands and manning concession booths at powwows, Chairman Bean was slowly learning the ins and outs of running a business. I learned to communicate and to count. I became really good with numbers. I was phenomenal with numbers. While my friends were playing, and I was working, I learned how to manage an operation, inventory control, cash handling and keeping track of sales,” he recalls proudly. 

One push-up at a time

During his teenage years, Chairman Bean would run into two crucial figures who also shaped his eventual path to Tribal leadership in Michael Pavel and Chuck Bingham. Both University of Puget Sound graduates, the duo helped direct Chairman Bean toward pursuing an accounting degree at the in-state institution, as well as offering a life lesson that still remains with the Chairman to this day. When Bingham – serving as Chairman Bean’s physical education teacher at the time – asked the Tribal executive to complete 10 pull-ups, Bean exclaimed he “can’t,” which wasn’t going to fly with the 6’3” 225-pound instructor. 

“Can’t?” Bingham questioned, “Give me 25 push-ups.” Whether it was because he “got really good at doing push-ups” while under Bingham’s tutelage or not, Chairman Bean quickly learned that “can’t” must be eliminated from his vocabulary. “I was capable of doing whatever I set my mind to. That was a powerful lesson. And respect, not just for others, but respect for myself too,” Chairman Bean said.

After missing the application deadline to attend the University of Puget Sound, however, Chairman Bean had to put Bingham’s mantra to work right away and met with the program’s admissions team to secure a late entry. Having managed to put together an impressive list of references, Chairman Bean was admitted into Puget Sound by former Associate VP of University Relations Geroge Mills, and continued on his way to pursue a career in finance and accounting. 

In his junior year, though, Chairman Bean discovered a new flavor profile for his future career, adding political science classes and finding his interest in politics. While Chairman Bean’s excitement about potentially running for counsel on the Puyallup Tribal Government was quickly growing, others questioned whether he was “sure” such a choice was truly his best path forward. Professor Bill Haltam, for example, had been familiar with the Tribe and was forced to chuckle at his pupil’s optimism; perhaps not quite understanding the depths of motivation Chairman Bean held as a Native member. 

Fast forward to 2006 – and past 10+ years of working for Puyallup’s economic development arm – Chairman Bean found himself elected to serve on the very same Tribal council he grew up under. Coincidentally, Chairman Bean’s first appointment as a Council Member was a meeting with Baarsma, who had become Mayor of Washington just five years earlier. It appears a life in politics was set in stone for both parties – a rather ironic twist for the Puget Sound scholar. 

Dinner for two

To begin his work in Tribal government, Chairman Bean first tasked himself with improving the relationship Puyallup had with neighboring western Washington communities, as the Fishing Wars of the 1960s and 1970s created noticeable “animosity” between the two sides. Understanding that fights on the federal level would require state support, Chairman Bean “broke bread” with fellow state and local government leaders, believing a simple meal is the beginning of building a strong working relationship. “You can sit down and have a formal meeting,” Chairman Bean explains, “but you’re not really going to get to know folks. When you share a meal, something happens. Folks start to get comfortable, they let their guard down, you learn about their values and their priorities and they learn about yours at the same time.

“Those, for me, were some defining moments in terms of bridging relationships with people who historically did not get along with us because we were reclaiming our lands, which obviously decreased their tax base. I had to let them know we have far more in common than differences, and I believe we can get a lot further by working together – because neither of us are going anywhere until we collectively recognize that.”

As Chairman Bean continued his career in Tribal government, the elder leaders who had served their Tribes for decades began passing the baton to Bean after noticing his drive to “jump in wherever I could.” Chairman Bean began representing the Puyallup Tribe at various conferences and meetings, and before fellow Tribal organizations, eventually catching the eye of those leading at a more national scale.

In 2009, IGA – then known as the National Indian Gaming Association – asked Chairman Bean to serve as Northwest Region Representative, a transition that would allow him to remain close with former IGA Chairman Ernest “Ernie” Stevens Jr. Chairman Bean represented then-Chairman Stevens with high-energy during this period, ensuring he was always “in the front row asking questions.” Despite Chairman Bean standing at 5’6” and weighing “180 pounds soaking wet,” he was still able to make a name for himself in Tribal government by sticking with the 6’5” IGA leader at every opportunity. 

Chairman Bean adds: “I did the same at the National Congress of American Indians. I positioned myself so wherever the congressional representatives that were speaking came off stage, I was there to shake their hand, take their card, introduce myself and try to develop a relationship. It’s the same thing I did with the cities locally and early on in DC. An observation I made was these are folks who we have a lot of commonalities with, and it’s very easy to go into a friend’s house and have a conversation about issues we have in common. I knew from listening to folks that we need both sides of the aisle to get legislation moving. The pendulum swings from left to right, so you have to make friends on both sides. Nobody stays in power forever. I told them, ‘Put me in the unfamiliar, the unfriendly and I’m going to come out with a familiar friend.’ And I’ve been doing that ever since.”

Mother’s intuition

By 2017, both Chairman Bean and Chairman Stevens were caught by surprise when elder members of the Board nominated the Northwest Region Representative to become IGA Vice Chairman. Picture the towering Chairman Stevens looking down at Chairman Bean asking if he knew about the nomination prior, only for his protégé to quickly explain the elders had come to the decision on their own. While the duo may not have been expecting such a nomination, the choice had long been coming after Chairman Bean developed a reputation for “rolling up my sleeves and getting involved.”

It was also one his mother had anticipated for most of his life, well before Chairman Bean was first elected to the Puyallup Tribe Council. Chairman Bean’s mother passed away in 2002 after a battle with cancer. Chairman Bean recalls a special moment his wife recounted from 2016, less than 12 months before his appointment as IGA Vice Chairman, when his mother told her that his place was always going to be in leadership and advised her of those expectations.

“My mom didn’t like too many of my girlfriends, but she told my wife, ‘I’m going to share this with you, and if you’re around, and I hope you are, this is what you need to do. I raised him to be a leader. He’s going to lead the Tribe, and he’s going to work nationally.’ She also told my wife what to expect as a Council Member, including the attacks, the long hours, the travel, and the commitment to the community,” Chairman Bean said.

“Then, she also told her, ‘this is what you need to do to put him back together and send him out there every day.’ Mind you, that was 2016-2017, and my mom passed in 2002. My wife held on to that for a long time. I don’t know why she chose that time to share it with me, but she did. And it was an incredible birthday gift. Shortly thereafter, I got selected to serve as Vice Chair; so maybe they’re all connected, maybe not. 

“But the foundation was rooted in all the things my mom did in terms of exposing me to different Tribal regions, making sure I had our language, making sure I was present and available for all of our ceremonies and making sure I was always working. Again, while my friends were playing, I thought I was in trouble. All those things came into perspective. I did not like those lessons then, but I appreciate them now, because they all contributed to who I am today.”

While being the son of such a remarkable figure in the Puyallup Tribe came with being deemed as “Gloria’s boy” for much of his life, Chairman Bean was eventually able to “earn (my) name” and “make my own way.” Chairman Bean stepping into the Vice Chairman role for IGA came at a crucial time for the Association, as the overturning of PASPA and new growth across online gambling brought forth heightened threats – and opportunities – to Tribal sovereignty. Reservations began fighting for the right to offer sports betting in their respective states, beginning with New Jersey and Chairman Bean’s own Washington State in 2020. 

Missed beyond measure…

Still, the difficulties which stemmed from the Covid-19 pandemic affected Tribes in a similar fashion, or even moreso, to those who were forced to close the doors of gaming destinations worldwide. Alongside his work in Washington and on the national stage, Chairman Bean was in the midst of managing his own smoke shop and fireworks business back home – one he originally acquired from an aging Tribal member in 2006 and still runs today. Coming from a life built around perseverance, Chairman Bean helped his reservation and fellow Indian communities across the US endure the downswing and come out stronger on the other side.

From fiscal year 2021-2025, Tribal gaming has managed to set new records in gross gaming revenue for each period, showcasing the resolve that has sparked the industry for generations. In late 2025, IGA – and Tribal communities everywhere – would need to show such persistence once again, as the industry was hit with a devastating loss following Chairman Stevens’ sudden passing on September 26. Having constructed one of most renowned legacies in Tribal history, Chairman Stevens’ passing left behind massive shoes to fill, both “literally and figuratively,” although the man preparing to step into the role knew such a feat could never be achieved. 

“I don’t want to fill those shoes, I simply want to walk in his footsteps,” Chairman Bean explained to Global Gaming Insider. “We all lost a relative, a big brother, an uncle figure, a father figure and so we move forward with heavy hearts. We move forward respecting his legacy. So when I say we want to walk in his footsteps, we want to do so as he walked in the footsteps of his predecessors. That made it a little bit easier, and knowing the team that supported him is the same team that supports me now.”

There’s an awful lot you can tell about a person by their shoes, and Chairman Stevens’ exemplified his substantial impact on Tribal gaming and the industry as a whole throughout his life. Chairman Bean was no stranger to taking over leadership in the midst of a difficult period for Tribal gaming, thankfully, having been elected as Puyallup Tribe Chairman less than a year before Covid-19 hit the US.

Utilizing his ability to “thrive in a chaotic environment,” Chairman Bean carried the leadership and legacy of Chairman Stevens into the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas less than two weeks after his passing, as well as the IGA Tradeshow & Convention last March. Having triumphed (to a strong degree) in the battle against sweepstakes casinos and illegal online gambling, other prominent adversaries still await the Tribal executive as he approaches the one-year anniversary of becoming IGA Chairman. 

Trading one threat for another

As IGA takes on new threats to Tribal gaming – none greater than the rise of prediction markets – Chairman Bean still remembers the lessons passed down by his predecessor, especially when fighting on the federal stage in Washington DC. Joining Global Gaming Insider for the CEO Special less than 24 hours before speaking in front of US lawmakers, Chairman Bean recalled having to balance the desire to challenge certain politicians with the need to gain support from “both sides of the aisle.” Having been taught that people own “two ears, one mouth” and he should “use them proportionally,” Chairman Bean understands the “polarization of politics” doesn’t allow for much pushback until a potential connection has already been lost. 

Addressing prediction markets’ growth since 2025, Chairman Bean shares: “It’s spread like wildfire and what we’re doing right now is pushing a snowball uphill. The slope’s getting steeper because of folks like Chairman [Michael] Selig [of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission], who interprets the Commodity Exchange Act to allow sports betting. We’re trying to get congressional represntativess to take action, but the moment they hear a member of the President’s family is involved, all of a sudden they don’t know what’s going on; or they need to learn more about it because the reality is they don’t want to upset the big boss. 

“The moment they take action, guess what? Their head gets chopped. We met with Chairman Bozeman of the Appropriations Committee and he opened up by saying ‘what we’re dealing with is a choice between friends.’ I respectfully pushed back and said ‘we’re not asking you to make a choice between friends. We’re asking you to follow the law.”

Believing a Tribal victory against prediction markets would only require US politicians to “follow the law,” Chairman Bean remains confident Tribal gaming will find ways to thrive even in the face of swelling competition. IGA’s leader referenced the “hard work, sacrifice and unified efforts” Tribes have put in to generate economic self-sufficiency throughout their history and his desire to expand the industry even further by 2027. While the Chairman admits such aspirations are quite “aggressive,” dreams of growing the IGA conference by “50%” are also on the cards for helping extend Tribal gaming’s presence across the US. 

According to figures such as Chairman Bean, California Nations Indian Gaming Association Chairman James Siva and IGA Conference Chair Victor Rocha, iGaming is also a path soon to be explored by Tribal leaders. With the belief Tribes “have to embrace technology” to continue innovating, Chairman Bean compared Indian gaming’s relationship with online gambling to Blockbuster’s eventual demise due to streaming services, stating “if we are not careful, we will suffer the same fate.”

Nonetheless, Tribal gaming’s success since Covid-19 helps showcase the industry’s ability to keep pace with corporate-led operators both in the US and across North America as a whole. Even with the iGaming growth witnessed in Canada and LatAm over the past 12 months, online gambling becoming more accessible to Tribes could hold more potential than gaming has seen since – ironically – the introduction of prediction markets. How Chairman Bean chooses to pursue such opportunities, and defend the industry from historic threats, may represent the most defining stage in Tribal gaming history. 

The road ahead

Chairman Bean’s ability to thrive in the midst of chaos will be tested no greater than in the regulatory tug-of-war between prediction markets and regulators across the US. Protecting Tribal sovereignty from the dangers of event contract trading is not the Chairman’s only task, however, as carrying the legacy of those who came before him is as pivotal a duty as ever for industry leaders. While Chairman Bean’s conviction that no one can step into Chairman Stevens’ shoes is both realistically and figuratively correct, it doesn’t mean the responsibility that falls upon him is no lighter than that carried by IGA’s former leader for so many years. 

The battle with prediction-market operators will alter Tribal gaming for generations, either because figures such as Chairman Bean come out victorious or the ultimate need to adapt in a world where swaps and event contracts become the norm. As covered prior, it’s also the Chairman’s responsibility to guarantee Tribal operators continue to innovate in the years ahead, as the opportunities which lie with online gambling are quickly becoming too incentivized to ignore.

Chairman Bean is up to the task, though, as the “Forrest Gump life” he’s enjoyed up to this point has featured the twist and turns typical of a leadership position in Tribal gaming. Nearly 12 months down as IGA Chairman, Chairman Bean’s focus is now to construct a legacy those who come next can carry on for generations. Run Chairman Bean, run.