Tunica-Biloxi Tribe partners with Kalshi to launch prediction market app

The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana is reportedly partnering with Kalshi, the regulated event contracts exchange, to allow customers to bet on real-world events through a tribally owned and operated business.

That distinction matters, because Kalshi’s relationship with tribal gaming has been anything but friendly. The company is currently embroiled in multiple legal challenges from tribes arguing its sports event contracts violate the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, the federal law that protects tribal sovereignty over gaming operations.

A complicated courtship with tribal gaming

Kalshi has secured partnerships with Robinhood and inked deals with major sports organizations including the NHL and the US Open. But tribes have pushed back, with multiple tribal nations filing legal challenges arguing that Kalshi’s offering of sports-related contracts on tribal lands infringes on the exclusive gaming rights established through tribal-state compacts under IGRA.

The legal headwinds reached a peak on September 16, 2026, when a Ninth Circuit ruling granted a temporary injunction blocking Kalshi from offering event contracts on the lands of two California tribes.

Who are the Tunica-Biloxi?

The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe received federal recognition in 1981 and has since built a substantial economic presence in central Louisiana. The tribe operates Paragon Casino Resort, one of the state’s prominent gaming destinations. More recently, the tribe has focused on diversifying beyond casino floors. A memorandum of understanding with Louisiana State University Alexandria, set for 2025, signaled interest in education and broader economic development partnerships.

The IGRA question

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, passed in 1988, created a framework for tribes to operate gaming on their own lands. It established three classes of gaming and required tribal-state compacts for the most lucrative categories, including casino-style games.

The CFTC has regulated Kalshi as an exchange offering event contracts, treating them as financial products. But tribes and some state regulators view certain event contracts, especially those tied to sports outcomes, as functionally identical to sports betting. The Ninth Circuit’s September injunction suggests courts are increasingly sympathetic to the tribal interpretation.

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