The Indian Gaming Association Tradeshow & Convention kicks off Monday in San Diego and conference organizers made a last-minute pitch to highlight how tribes can strategically leverage online gaming opportunities and explore cutting-edge developments in sports betting and igaming.
Conference Chairman Victor Rocha hosted a webinar to promote the tradeshow that runs Monday through Thursday at the San Diego Convention Center.
Rocha highlighted “Deep Dive ‘25: Leveraging Online Gaming for Tribal Growth,” which kicks off the conference Monday afternoon. He said tribes can learn practical strategies to assess their market potential, develop independent gaming platforms, build strategic brand partnerships, and negotiate successful deals.
The webinar also focused on the second year of the “DigitalPlay Summit 2025” at the tradeshow. It opens Wednesday with exhibits and educational sessions on emerging opportunities and regulatory insights in digital gaming.
“Because IGA is so diverse with so many tribes, we’ve been trying to be so many things to so many people, but we’re at the point where this is what the reality is,” Rocha said. “There were times we couldn’t talk about sports betting and online gaming, because people didn’t want to hear about them. Now, there are no restrictions and we can talk about the reality of gaming. The tribes are in a good position to understand and just because you talk about the future doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a threat. There’s a lot of knowledge and wisdom in understanding the future.”
Rocha said the deep dive on big issues facing tribes is on the first day of the conference to take advantage of an open spot. Artificial intelligence was tackled a year ago in Anaheim.
“This time, I wanted people to look at the reality of what interactive wagering is bringing,” Rocha said. “It’s everything across the board that isn’t on terrestrial gaming. We’re looking at igaming and sports betting, but we’re not defining what you’re going to do. These are the fundamentals of going online and doing business and what you need to do if online gaming is the right choice for you.”
Rocha said they want to make sure that if there’s another economic downturn, or a crisis like a pandemic, tribes aren’t caught in a bad spot financially with the investments they’ve made in resorts.
“The tribes in California are starting to understand that online gaming is more revenue that can be brought into tribes and replace revenue they’re losing from the government,” Rocha said. “It’s a silent gold rush. If tribes aren’t occupying that digital space, they’re losing.”
Monday session’s highlight is the discussion among Jason Robins, CEO of DraftKings, Christian Genetski, president of FanDuel, and Rocha.
“We’re going to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of going with the big brands,” Rocha said. “What does the deal look like and is it good for them or for us?”
Also on Monday, attorneys will also discuss how to negotiate deals for online gaming and protect tribal sovereignty.
Brian Giles, executive director of IGA, called the DigitalPlay Summit a “big hit” in its first year and expects to outdo it this year. There was a lot of interest among attendees in Anaheim.
“I love the fact that it’s now going to be at the front of the show floor right in front of one of the entrances,” said Allison McCoy, special-event producer of the DigitalPlay Summit. “It’s really going to be a destination on the show floor.”
McCoy said the purpose of the area is to focus on interactive wagering, including mobile, igaming, and sports betting, along with the technology that powers them.
“There will be some similar types of topics from (the education component on Tuesday), but attendees can walk away with some actionable ideas, so they can hit the ground running after they get back from the show. This is where tribal gaming confronts the future head on.”
Rocha said so many tribes are doing it now and others want to do it in markets that haven’t opened, especially in California and Minnesota.
At last year’s show, the DigitalPlay Summit was a late addition and they’ve already sold 30% of the floor for 2026, said Brian Sullivan, vice president of gaming America for Clarion Events.
“Knowing the success, we were able to pull it to the front this year,” Sullivan said. “It’s going to talk about what’s happening now and even consider cybersecurity, next generation, and those types of things. It’s not in the clouds. It’s down to earth on what’s happening.”
When it comes to talking about digital and sports wagering, Rocha lamented that exclusivity has gone out of California from the tribes with sweepstakes and the prediction markets.
“Gambling as we know it is live in California,” Rocha said. “It’s untaxed and unregulated and tribes aren’t getting a part of it. Consumer behavior is changing. Not everybody is going to land-based casinos. Mobile has changed everything.”
https://www.indiangamingtradeshow.com/information
