WATCH: Vasquez Stands Up to Protect New Mexico's Tribal Gaming Industry and Sovereignty

WASHINGTON, D.C.- On March 4, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02)pushed to protect New Mexico's Tribal gaming industry by calling for all types of bets on sports to be treated as sports betting. Congressman Vasquez proposed an amendment to the Farm Bill to ban prediction market companies from offering sports betting services. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which is responsible for regulating crops and commodities, is currently turning a blind eye to illegal event contracts under its purview.

The House Agriculture Committee refused to vote on Rep. Vasquez's amendment, failing to close the loophole that allows prediction market companies to evade state and Tribal gaming laws, including those that protect kids and individuals with gambling addictions. Failure to act also allows these out-of-state companies to siphon revenue from the Tribal gaming industry that supports education, public safety, and local priorities and erodes Tribal sovereignty. However, he secured a commitment from the Chairman of the Agriculture Committee to take up this issue in future committee sessions.

"Let's be honest-allowing companies to bypass state and Tribal gambling rules by calling bets on sports 'event contacts' or 'prediction markets' is a direct violation of Tribal sovereignty, and it's stealing revenue from the New Mexico Tribes who are playing by the rules," said Vasquez. "In New Mexico, Tribal gaming is the foundation of rural and Native economies. Without it, jobs, housing, and the fabric of the local community come under threat."

"I am disappointed that the Committee will not take up this amendment and will continue to let these companies infringe on Tribal sovereignty and steal from our states," concluded Vasquez.

WATCH THE CLIP HERE.

This amendment would prohibit the listing or trading of sports and casino-style event contracts on federally regulated commodity exchanges.

Rep. Vasquez's amendment was supported by the Mescalero Apache Tribe, Laguna Pueblo, and the Indian Gaming Association.

"The Mescalero Apache Tribe stands in full support of Representative Vasquez' amendment to put a stop to online sports betting through the CFTC," said Thora Walsh Padilla, President of the Mescalero Apache Tribe. "These prediction markets on sports betting are not financial investments. They are in fact illegal unregulated gambling that violate the CFTC's own regulations and threaten the careful balance of gaming in New Mexico set forth in our tribal-state gaming compact."

"So-called Prediction markets are offering illegal nationwide online sports gambling. They trample on tribal and state governmental sovereignty and disrespect the hard work and investments that we have made to protect consumers and the integrity of American sports," said David Bean, Chairman of the Indian Gaming Association. "Congress never intended the CFTC to replace the comprehensive regulatory system for gambling that we have developed with our state counterparts. The Indian Gaming Association and all of Indian Country extends our full support for Rep. Vasquez' common sense amendment to reaffirm respect for local decision-making authority over important decisions to regulate or prohibit gambling and protect consumers."

"We appreciate Congressman Vasquez's leadership in defending tribal sovereignty and protecting the integrity of regulated gaming by offering this critical amendment," said Harry A. Antonio, Jr., Governor of the Pueblo of Laguna. "On behalf of the Pueblo of Laguna, I applaud his clear intent to shut the door on unregulated sports and casino-style event contracts. Congressman Vasquez is again showing deep respect for tribal governments, our laws, and the communities that depend on gaming revenues for essential services."

"CNIGA applauds Rep. Gabe Vazquez for offering an amendment clarifying that sports event contracts are illegal under federal law," said James Siva, Chairman of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA). "Congress must not stand idly by while its intent in prohibiting sports event futures is disregarded by unscrupulous operators who encourage insider trading and change betting rules to boost their own profits. We agree with the over 40 state Attorneys General who have taken legal action to protect their consumers: prediction markets offering sports event futures are nothing more than illegal betting operations. We are confident that we will ultimately succeed in restoring integrity to futures markets, and we will work through Congress, the administration, and every other avenue to do so until the rule of law is restored."

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