IGA Panel Says Mobile Gaming Can Be an Important Revenue Source
Experts at the 2025 Indian Gaming Association (IGA) Tradeshow & Convention in San Diego strongly advised attendees to embrace online gaming to help deliver revenue for tribal nations across the United States.
Indian Gaming Association discusses tribal mobile betting apps.
Key Facts:
- Gaming experts advise tribes to operate “ahead of the curve” and embrace mobile gaming in coming years
- Five-person panel discusses impact mobile betting could have on long-range financial health of tribes
- Tribes told they should “be the source” for consumers to find online gaming apps
US tribes were encouraged to take a proactive approach to mobile gaming during an IGA 2025 panel featuring key industry suppliers, including Aristocrat Interactive, Everi, GLI, and Playtech.
The spirited discussion at IGA 2025 centered on how embracing digital gaming could provide tribes with long-term advantages from both a business and legal standpoint. Most tribal nations in the US are clamoring for revenue sources.
Historically, some tribes have hesitated to adopt mobile gaming due to concerns over potential revenue cannibalization from their land-based operations.
Many tribes own and operate casinos, with most states permitting tribal gambling under the terms of compacts with the federal and state governments.
However, with digital gaming’s increasing dominance and fierce competition from commercial operators, the panel emphasized the importance of leveraging mobile gaming as a tool for job creation and sustained economic growth for future generations.
In an interesting take, Everi’s Richard Sagman urged tribes in attendance to explore all available market options before committing to a particular platform, emphasizing the need to avoid undue influence from consultants steering them toward specific solutions.
Both Playtech’s Marcus Yoder and GLI’s Gabriel Benedik highlighted the potential of Class II gaming and mobile platforms to drive revenue and generate employment opportunities, as each tribe will require experts to manage their iGaming operations.
“Tribes can take the lead in iGaming and become the go-to provider,” Benedik stated.
Sagman stressed that digital gaming represents a long-term financial opportunity for tribes, not just an immediate revenue stream. He pointed out that major commercial gaming operators in certain states have already established dominance, limiting tribes’ market share. By positioning themselves as leaders in iGaming, tribes can ensure they remain competitive rather than being sidelined.
In states where commercial operators have gained a stronghold, tribes have sometimes been pushed to the margins. Commercial online gaming operators have resources and technology that tribal lands do not have yet. However, Sagman noted that by acting swiftly, tribes can use Class II and mobile gaming to counteract this trend.
Benedik also suggested that embracing these gaming verticals could serve as a strategic advantage in compact negotiations, while Thomas Castleberry of Aristocrat Interactive pointed out that it could help tribes build a path toward self-sufficiency.
He further explained that Class II gaming allows tribes to enter the online market without altering existing gaming compacts, using California as a prime example. He noted that increased traffic from Class II gaming might even prompt California Governor Gavin Newsom to accelerate the approval of Class III gaming.
Beyond California, Benedik cited examples from Alabama’s Poarch Creek and various New York tribes that have successfully familiarized players with mobile gaming through their apps—yet another way to stay ahead of industry trends.
During the session, an audience member inquired about the future applications of Class II technology. Castleberry responded by emphasizing the central role of the Player Account Management system, explaining that sports betting, Class II, and Class III gaming could all be integrated as modular components.
Yoder even proposed an innovative idea—developing a crash game that still falls within Class II gaming regulations.
The expert panel provided a thought-provoking start to IGA 2025, reinforcing that mobile gaming can be a game-changer for tribes willing to adapt. The panel members included Castleberry, Sagman, Benedik, and Yoder, each a professional working in the gaming industry.
