California legislation deepens inequity among tribes

California Assembly Bill 831 bars non-casino tribes and companies from offering online sweepstakes games, a move that critics say favors wealthy, mega-casino tribes and limits economic opportunities for smaller or rural tribes, according to Charlie Wright, chairman of the Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation. Wright, writing in CalMatters, said his tribe and other non-gaming tribes are confined to a flat $1.1 million annual stipend from the revenue sharing trust fund, which has not increased in 25 years.

Wright argued Bill 831 extends inequity into digital gaming by blocking smaller tribes from participating while well-resourced tribes prepare to dominate the market. He cited Washington state as an example of a more equitable model, where tribes can lease unused gaming machine rights to each other, ensuring broader participation in gaming revenue streams. The legislation, he said, undermines the unity and opportunity voters intended when legalizing tribal gaming more than two decades ago.