Indian Gaming Association highlights tribal success during San Pasqual visit

The Indian Gaming Association (IGA) visited the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians this week, hosted by Chairman Stephen W. Cope and the leadership team of Valley View Casino & Hotel.

The visit included a tour of tribal lands at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, highlighting the Tribe’s partnership with the Zoo and its approach to combining land stewardship, tourism, and gaming for economic growth.

IGA Chairman David Z. Bean met with tribal leaders, casino management, and development partners to discuss cybersecurity, operational leadership, and federal regulatory issues affecting Indian gaming.

"This visit to San Pasqual is a powerful example of what tribal sovereignty looks like in action," said Bean. "From the partnership with the San Diego Zoo Safari Park to the success of Valley View Casino, the Tribe demonstrates how diversified economic development, responsible land stewardship, and strong enterprise management support the entire community.”

Bean emphasized that engaging directly with tribal communities is central to IGA’s mission. The visits provide opportunities to update tribes on legislative priorities, advocacy efforts alongside partner tribal and industry organizations, and to hear first-hand about their challenges and successes.

“What we see here reinforces why IGA is heavily engaged in federal policy discussions right now,” Bean said, referencing current deliberations at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission regarding predictive markets and sports wagering contracts.

“Tribes have spent decades building a lawful, highly regulated industry under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Any effort to create a side door around that framework is a direct threat to tribal sovereignty.”

Bean raised concerns about attempts to classify betting contracts as financial instruments. "Who truly benefits from this activity? It is not tribal communities, not states, and not local governments," he said. "The only beneficiaries are private operators seeking to avoid the regulatory structure that tribes and states have honored for decades."

IGA said it is working closely with sister tribal organizations, national gaming partners, and congressional offices to ensure federal actions do not undermine tribal rights or the legal foundation of Indian gaming.

Moreover, Bean highlighted that the National Indian Gaming Commission has identified cyber threats as the number one risk to tribal gaming operations nationwide. "We have seen how ransomware and cyber incidents can shut down tribal enterprises for days," Bean said. "That is not just an IT issue. That is an economic and sovereignty issue.”

Bean also reflected on the legacy of the late Ernie Stevens Jr., noting that his decades of leadership helped shape IGA’s advocacy for tribal sovereignty and economic self-determination. "IGA carries that responsibility forward every day. I am committed to continuing his work, honoring his legacy, and ensuring that tribal nations remain protected, respected, and heard at the federal level," he added.

The visit further advanced IGA’s broader outreach strategy to expand engagement with tribal, state, and regional organizations and to highlight successful tribal enterprises that reflect the strength and diversity of Indian gaming.

Bean said that IGA’s role is to listen to tribal leaders, learn from effective approaches, and carry those lessons into its federal advocacy efforts. "San Pasqual's leadership in partnership, hospitality, and enterprise management is exactly the kind of example policymakers need to understand when they consider decisions that affect Indian Country," he concluded.