In rare appearance, Genetski, Robins sing tribal praises at IGA

FanDuel president Christian Genetski joined DraftKings co-founder and CEO Jason Robins to discuss their companies’ tribal gaming strategies with Victor Rocha, conference chair of the Indian Gaming Association (IGA). The trio headlined the first day of the Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention in San Diego.

On paper, the conversation was about tribes and operators “structuring successful partnerships” to ensure “long-term sustainability”. But the packed crowd of industry representatives knew that the backdrop of the conversation was much more controversial.

A coalition of commercial bookmakers led by FanDuel and DraftKings in 2022 spent hundreds of millions on Prop 27, which would have legalised mobile sports betting in California. Tribes also put forth their own initiative, Prop 26, but leaders maintained that the goal was to block Prop 27 rather than pass their own.

Ultimately Prop 27 garnered just 17% of votes. Its defeat and the vitriol surrounding it were so pronounced that bookmakers are still mending fences nearly three years later.

On Monday Robins did an about-face in his assessment of the landscape and how things can move forward.

“There is no chance that there could possibly be online sports betting in California without tribes feeling like their sovereignty is being respected,” he said. “That just wouldn’t work. It’s incompatible. We didn’t understand [in 2022] that [California] is different.”

With regard to FanDuel, CEO Amy Howe was brought onstage last year to extend an olive branch in a similar conversation. Genetski continued that tradition this year.

“Both of our companies are pragmatic over everything else in trying to find the right solution where everyone is included and feels like they have an opportunity to win on a level playing field,” he said. “We want to be good actors in that conversation and try to get the right answer.”

California dreamin’

Given the history and the location of the tribal conference, the future of California sports betting permeated the discussion on Monday. As recently as late January, state tribes indicated they would not address legalisation efforts in 2026. But both companies are desperate for those efforts to ramp up.

“In terms of importance to our long-term growth, California is obviously a critical state,” Robins said. “Having tribal partnerships is absolutely essential, there’s no other way to do it here…. California is the one that can have the biggest impact on our growth long term.”

Other untapped tribal markets like Oklahoma were mentioned, but California was clearly top of mind.

Genetski reiterated that his company believes “there can be a solution for California that creates winners across the board”. A potential partnership in the state could result in “a real generational opportunity” for tribes, he added.

“We know that conversation needs to be driven by the tribes in California and what we’ve said and continue to say is that we are available to share any and all information that we have that can be helpful in that discussion,” he continued.

Partnerships, branding key to tribal success

Both executives spoke at length on the importance of tribes finding the partner that best fits their needs and on the nuances of branding in such deals. In every tribal market, California included, each tribe is independent and therefore discussions must be tailored to their specific requirements. These partnerships are often required for market access, so both sides are highly incentivised to find good solutions.

“All the [stakeholders] need to find the right tribal partner,” Genetski said. “Optimally, it doesn’t feel like a game of musical chairs where someone’s worried the music’s going to stop and they’re not going to have a chair.” He added that the dynamic of appeasing all stakeholders is “much more important in tribal gaming states than commercial states”.

Citing the company’s relationship with the Mohegan tribe in Connecticut as an example, Genetski said the tribe prefers to use the FanDuel brand for sports betting but not for igaming.

Robins gave his own example of DraftKings’ relationship with the Tulalip tribes in Washington state. The company has retail sportsbooks at Tulalip Resort Casino and Quil Ceda Creek Casino but would jump at the opportunity to expand online.

“We would love to do more in Washington when the time is right, but that has to be something that everybody feels comfortable with and moves forward in the right direction,” he said. “That’ll happen when it happens.”

 Nearly three years removed from a disastrous attempt to bring sports betting to California, the heads of FanDuel and DraftKings made a rare public appearance on Monday (31 March) in efforts to curry favour with tribal gaming stakeholders.