FanDuel’s Genetski seeks to repair tribal relationship

FanDuel president Christian Genetski sought to make amends with tribal gaming chiefs in California at a conference earlier this week.

As reported by PlayUSA, Genetski told the Western Indian Gaming Conference that 2022’s multi-million-dollar efforts to further open up the US’ biggest state by population to sports betting was a “spectacular failure.”

FanDuel was among those who invested heavily in the campaign to get two initiatives for sports betting passed, but the initiatives eventually suffered heavy defeats.

California’s gaming landscape is heavily controlled by the tribal communities and Genetski, whose FanDuel sponsored this week’s conference, said the campaign was “a well-intentioned but uninformed and misguided attempt.”

“It wasn’t the time and it wasn’t the right way, and we understand that,” he added.

The California Nations Indian Gaming Association has since rebutted two fresh initiatives to open up sports betting in the state – with FanDuel having taken a step back from such proceedings. Nevertheless, chairman James Siva labelled the new attempts “cynical.”

Siva said of FanDuel’s presence at the tribal conference: “I know as soon as it was announced that FanDuel was going to be on the panel here and was a sponsor of the conference, it raised some red flags.

“While I hammered them everywhere I could when we were in the middle of those initiative fights, I always left that last piece that there will be some relationship moving forward. But the way that is decided and dictated and ultimately done will be by tribes.”