Harris-Walz Presidential Ticket Wins Sympathies from Tribal Gaming Leaders

From Trump’s passionate rallies in Nevada about exempting tips from tax to the Republican nominee for the US Presidency receiving ample donations from Las Vegas Sands’ owner, Meriam, and her late husband Sheldon Adelson, gambling companies have not been indifferent to arguably the most important election race in the free world.

Tribal Leaders See a Presidential Pair They Like

Now, though, the Kamala Harris–Tim Walz Democratic ticket brings with it an unexpected potential for appealing to industry types, and specifically tribal gaming establishments, which are one of the most powerful lobbies in the country.

Both Harris and Walz have worked with tribal gaming operators and have both come to interact with the sector. Apparently, the interactions have been favorable enough to elicit an endorsement from Indian gaming bosses.

Indian Gaming Association (IGA) chairman Ernie Stevens Jr. and tribal lobbyist Holly Cook Macarro have spoken favorably of the democratic ticket.

They are hardly alone, as IGA executive director Jason Giles and conference chairman Victor Rocha all used the opportunity in a recent webcast to discuss the potential benefits that Indian gaming in the United States could hope to secure through the election of the Democratic presumptive nominees.

Harris and Walz have not been yet confirmed as the Democratic nominees, as this will happen later in Chicago this month. Another upset following the withdrawal of President Joe Biden from the race is unthinkable, so they are definitely the candidates that the Trump campaign will run against.

Tribal experts now believe that the potential election into the White House of Harris and Walz will give them if not an advantage, then at least an administration that is not tone-deaf to the issues that the sector faces.

Walz is praised in tribal circles for his decision to back tribal exclusivity over sports betting in Minnesota, although this is not necessarily the best commercial market blueprint. Walz, though, has continuously sided with the tribes, including allowing tribal members to be appointed to the Minnesota Racing Commission to settle an ongoing dispute about historical horse racing.

Walz is seemingly very close with tribal communities, as he is expected to pass the gubernatorial baton to Peggy Flanagan, who is a citizen of White Earth Nation, and who may succeed Walz in the post if he is elected. She will be the first Native American woman to hold a governor position in US history.

No Currying Favor, But Still a Strong Rapport

The Biden administration has also been kind to Native Americans, with more than 70 appointments across his administration, including Deb Haaland as US Secretary of the Interior. Of course, none of this is to suggest that tribal gaming would gain anything from Harris and Walz winning the ticket.

If anything, the pair is not going to openly engage with micro-managing issues that pertain to tribal gaming, but having established a strong rapport with tribal leaders has won Harris and Walz their sympathies. Tribal gaming companies have been embroiled in fights of their own from California to Utah to Florida.