Major mobile sports betting platforms, including FanDuel, have ceased operations within the Cayuga Nation’s reservation after tribal leaders raised legal objections grounded in federal gaming law. Residents within the reservation recently reported being unable to access mobile sportsbook apps, marking a shift in availability that had previously included full access since New York legalized mobile sports betting in 2022.
According to a tip received by The Citizen, users within the reservation’s boundaries — which extend from Cayuga and Montezuma through to the area just north of Aurora and encompass several towns and the village of Union Springs — found that mobile sportsbooks had suddenly gone dark.
Legal Grounds Behind the Withdrawal
David Burch, legal counsel for the Cayuga Nation, confirmed that the tribe had “proactively reached out to mobile betting operations to inform them on the law and requirements regarding mobile betting operations on the Nation’s reservation.”
He cited the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), which governs gambling on tribal lands. Under IGRA, class III gaming activities — which include mobile sports betting — are not lawful on Indian lands unless both a federally approved gaming ordinance and a tribal-state compact are in effect.
“Although the Cayuga Nation has enacted a valid and approved gaming ordinance, it has not entered into a compact with the state of New York,” Burch explained. “Accordingly, mobile betting operations that are not expressly authorized and operated by the Nation itself violates (the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act) and the Nation’s gaming ordinance, and undermines the Nation’s federally protected sovereignty.”
Burch added that the Nation appreciates those operators that responded to its outreach by choosing to “cease illegal operations.” Although he did not name specific companies, users confirmed that FanDuel, New York’s most widely used mobile sportsbook, is no longer accessible within the reservation.
State Response and Compliance Efforts
Lee Park, a spokesperson for the New York State Gaming Commission, acknowledged the issue, stating that “several mobile sports wagering operators have voluntarily geofenced their services” in response to the Cayuga Nation’s concerns.
However, not all sportsbooks have complied. Burch noted that some platforms continue to offer services within the reservation, contrary to the IGRA. He stated that the Nation “will continue to pursue these sportsbooks who still need to comply with the law,” signaling that legal action is on the table for those that fail to exit the territory.
Mobile Sports Betting Drives Billions in State Revenue
New York remains one of the top markets for mobile sports betting in the United States. In the state’s 2025 fiscal year, running from April 2024 through March 2025, mobile sportsbooks generated over $2.1 billion in gross gaming revenue. Since the launch of legalized mobile betting in 2022, the state has reported a total of more than $5.6 billion in gross revenue from these platforms.
With nine operators currently licensed in New York, the mobile betting industry remains highly lucrative — and increasingly sensitive to legal boundaries, particularly those tied to tribal sovereignty and federal gaming laws.
Source:
“FanDuel, mobile sportsbooks stop ‘illegal operations’ on Cayuga Nation land”, auburnpub.com, Aug 12, 2025
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