SACRAMENTO, Calif. (September 16, 2026) — California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA) Chairman James Siva issued the following statement on today’s Ninth Circuit ruling in the Blue Rancheria v. Kalshi, Inc. case:
“Today’s Ninth Circuit ruling is a major victory for tribal sovereignty and for the integrity of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The court recognized what tribes have said from the beginning: sports wagers do not become financial instruments simply because a company calls them ‘event contracts.’
“The ruling affirms that gaming conducted on Indian lands must comply with federal law and respect the authority of tribal governments. No private company should be permitted to use regulatory wordplay to bypass the safeguards, agreements, and sovereign rights that govern tribal gaming. As the ruling outlines, ‘Kalshi may reshuffle the cards, but it cannot change its hand: Its sports event contracts are class III gaming.’
“Although the case now returns to the district court for consideration of the remaining preliminary-injunction factors, the Ninth Circuit’s message is unmistakable: federal commodities law does not erase IGRA or create a backdoor for unauthorized sports gambling on tribal lands.”
About the California Nations Indian Gaming Association
The California Nations Indian Gaming Association is a non-profit association of 58 federally recognized tribal governments dedicated to the protection of tribal sovereignty and the inherent right of tribes to have gaming on Indian lands.