The Cayuga Nation of New York has filed a federal lawsuit against Caesars Sportsbook, claiming the company unlawfully accepted mobile sports bets placed from within the tribe’s reservation in New York, in violation of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).
Cayuga Nation Sues Caesars Sportsbook
According to the complaint filed on June 16 in the US District Court for the Northern District of New York, Caesars Sportsbook accepted mobile sports wagers from individuals located within the Cayuga Nation’s 64,015-acre reservation between January 2022 and July 2025. The tribe contends that the IGRA permits Class III gaming on tribal lands only under a federally approved tribal-state compact. Because the Cayuga Nation has not entered into such an agreement, it argues that sports betting cannot legally be offered within the reservation by any operator, including Caesars.
The complaint states that the tribe sent Caesars a cease-and-desist letter in June 2025. The following month, Caesars reportedly agreed to implement geofencing measures to block access to its sportsbook within reservation boundaries.
In addition to its IGRA claims, the Cayuga Nation alleges that Caesars violated the Lanham Act through false advertising. The tribe claims Caesars promoted its mobile sportsbook as legally accessible throughout New York without disclosing that sports betting was not lawfully available on the Cayuga reservation. According to the filing, Caesars’ marketing materials gave consumers the impression that its sportsbook could be used anywhere in the state, without geographic limitations.
It is not the first time that the Cayuga Nation has resorted to IGRA rules in its case. Last year, for example, a court ruled in favor of the Cayuga Nation in a lawsuit against the State of New York regarding gambling rights.
What Does the Nation Want from the Lawsuit?
Back to the current lawsuit against Caesars, it seeks a declaration that the company’s conduct violated federal law. Additionally, the tribe is seeking damages, disgorgement of profits, and a full accounting of the revenue generated from the alleged unauthorized gaming activity. In a press release announcing the lawsuit, Cayuga Nation representative Clint Halftown accused Caesars of infringing on the tribe’s sovereign rights by offering sports betting services within reservation boundaries without the Nation’s authorization.
The complaint specifically references the Ho-Chunk Nation v. Kalshi case, a federal case in Wisconsin concerning tribal objections to Kalshi’s sports-related event contracts. By citing that decision, the Cayuga Nation appears to advance a broader legal argument that tribes may invoke the IGRA to challenge gaming activities conducted on tribal lands without their consent or authorization. However, it’s important to note that neither Kalshi nor any prediction market operator is named as a defendant in the Cayuga Nation’s case.