What’s inside of the latest California sports betting initiative proposals filed Friday quickly became almost moot when the highly influential California Nations Indian Gaming Association released a statement that it is “deeply disappointed” the authors of the proposals did not consult anyone in Indian Country prior to filing.
“Decisions driving the future of tribal governments should be made by tribal governments,” according to the statement. “While the sponsors of these initiatives may believe they know what is best for tribes, we encourage them to engage with Indian Country and ask, rather than dictate.”
It’s unclear what entity is behind the proposals, signed by Ryan Tyler Walz, who according to LinkedIn is the vice president of business development for Enshored, a company that works with startups. The listed contact is Reeve Collins, founder of SmartMedia Technologies and other tech startups.