Cayuga Nation Tribe Sues Caesars Over Mobile Sports Betting on Tribal Land

The Cayuga Nation Tribe has sued Caesars Entertainment in federal court for allegedly offering mobile sports betting on tribal land. The Cayuga Nation Tribe claims that Caesars is violating the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act by offering the sportsbook on the tribe’s lands without the tribe’s consent. The 1988 law established the jurisdictional framework governing gaming by Native American tribal groups.

The suit argues that, despite the state legalizing online sports wagering in 2022, it doesn’t apply to tribal lands. The lawsuit notes that Caesars accepted wagers placed from physical locations within the reservation’s boundaries, including wagers from users who are present on Indian lands.

Gaming attorney Daniel Wallach said this is the first known instance of a tribe suing a state-licensed sportsbook for offering online bets within its Indian lands. Bob Jarvis, a law professor at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, believes the Cayuga lawsuit may have some merit. Jarvis sees no difference in the current scenario, tribes are sovereign, and this gives them the right to prohibit gambling on their lands. Caesars could correct the issue by erecting a geofence so betting isn’t available on Cayuga land.