AGA, tribal leaders and casino CEOs target prediction markets at G2E
The AGA said it is on “wartime footing” as tribal leaders and Caesars and MGM chiefs joined the attack; no prediction market firms spoke.
By Iris Calder, Payments and technology editor
- American Gaming Association chief Bill Miller said the group is on "wartime footing" against prediction markets.
- The AGA and the Indian Gaming Association spoke of a joint "coalition" against prediction markets in a Monday G2E session.
- Caesars CEO Tom Reeg and MGM CEO Bill Hornbuckle both criticised prediction markets in a Tuesday CEO session.
- No speakers from the prediction markets industry were at G2E to offer a counterpoint.
Prediction markets were the inescapable subject of this year's Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas, where trade groups, tribal leaders and casino executives condemned the products from prominent speaking slots. SBC Americas reported that the rhetoric was perhaps the week's biggest talking point. No speakers from the prediction markets industry were there to respond.
What happened
American Gaming Association (AGA) President and CEO Bill Miller set the tone in comments on Monday and Tuesday. He described prediction markets as "a generational opponent that poses an existential threat" and said the AGA was "operating on wartime footing". He called the platforms "untaxed, unregulated, predatory organizations" and said they were posing as investment sites.
A Monday session titled "The Power of Unity" put Miller beside Indian Gaming Association (IGA) Chairman David Bean and Executive Director Jason Giles. The three spoke multiple times of a "coalition" between the AGA and Indian Country. Giles read aloud snippets of opinions from the Sixth Circuit and Ninth Circuit federal appeals courts and suggested they show prediction markets "are going to lose either way". California Nations Indian Gaming Association Chairman James Siva said prediction markets "are losing because what we are doing is right".
In Tuesday's "CEO Outlook" session, CNBC's Contessa Brewer questioned the chiefs of Caesars, MGM Resorts and Wynn Resorts. Caesars CEO Tom Reeg and MGM Resorts CEO Bill Hornbuckle were forthright about their stance. Hornbuckle said the "cavalier approach of some of these guys in the leadership group is hurting the industry".
Reeg called the "swap" label a "fig leaf".
Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman Mike Dreitzer said on a separate panel on Tuesday that "crime and deception are not innovation".
Miller also directed sharp personal criticism at CFTC Chairman Michael Selig, calling him a "nitwit" and "the most dangerous man in gaming". He accused the agency and prediction market companies of reframing the Commodity Exchange Act to suit their own agenda.
Why it matters
The event showed tribal leaders and the CEOs of Caesars and MGM lining up alongside the AGA against prediction markets. Brick-and-mortar casino giants had stayed on the sidelines of prediction markets, unlike DraftKings, Fanatics and FanDuel, which launched products in late 2025. Tribal leaders' emphasis on sovereignty could give the campaign a legal argument as well as a lobbying one.
SBC Americas said G2E's approach equated to a heavily tilted account of the conflict.
What's next
Miller told attendees the AGA and its allies are confident the endgame is approaching, and that the only way to lose is to "take our foot off their throats".
Sources
- 1.AGA, tribal leaders, casino giants use G2E to fire at prediction markets · SBC Americas (sbcamericas.com), accessed 7 Oct 2026Primary
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