EndGame: Updates On Clarity Act, Tribal Gaming, Alberta

The U.S. sports betting world moves quickly and unpredictably in 2026. In order to properly take stock of it all, we offer InGame’s “EndGame,” an end-of-week compilation of the top storylines, some overlooked items, and all the other news bits from this past week that we found interesting.

Senate Dems urge sports contract ban

Democrats may be a minority in Congress, but a group of the party’s senators is seeking to influence potential passage of the Clarity Act by including a ban on use of sports event contracts by the prediction market sector.

SBA Americas reported that a dozen Democratic senators banded together calling for the ban in a July 17 letter to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, which both have a say in the future of the Clarity Act, a broad legislative proposal covering the crypto industry.

The letter urges that the legislation include language amending the Commodity Exchange Act so that prediction markets are prevented from offering trades “relating to the outcome of or team or individual performance or statistics within any sporting event or athletic competition or any casino-style game …”

The future of any vote on or passage of the Clarity Act remains uncertain, as is the case with more than a dozen bills proposed in Congress covering controversial offerings in the prediction market sector.

🇺🇸 SENATOR KEVIN CRAMER ON WHERE THE CLARITY ACT ACTUALLY STANDS RIGHT NOW:

"The Clarity Act passed out of the Banking Committee with Democratic votes. But even the Democrats that voted for it in committee won't vote for it on the floor unless a couple things are straightened…
— WOLF Bitcoin (@WOLF_Bitcoin_) July 22, 2026

Tribal gaming shows revenue growth

While tribal leaders across the nation remain concerned about the present and future impact of prediction market sports betting, their hundreds of casinos showed a 5.3% increase in gross revenue in the 2025 fiscal year, the National Indian Gaming Commission reported this week.

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Independent audits showed that the 545 tribal-owned gaming establishments across 29 states earned revenue of $46.2 billion in the most recent year, a $2.3 billion increase over the 2024 fiscal year. The federal commission collects financial data on an annual basis to assess trends and help it oversee the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

“The continued success of Indian gaming further underscores its importance as a means to
support self-sufficiency and strong tribal governments,” commission Vice Chair William Kirkland said in a press release. “The agency is proud to work alongside tribal leaders to uphold a regulatory framework that protects these achievements and ensures the benefits endure for future generations.”

Albertans embrace betting opportunity

Alberta this month became North America’s newest jurisdiction allowing commercial sports betting and online casino play, and no surprise — it was welcomed quite eagerly by residents of the province.

GeoComply put some numbers to the new interest, offering a snapshot that reported its iGaming partners recorded more than 3.2 million geolocation checks province-wide the week of July 13, which was the initial launch period. The company’s report noted the concluding matches of the World Cup drove the biggest spikes in activity.

“Albertans were eager to expand their choices of safe, regulated ways to play, and the final matches of the World Cup gave us an immediate look at the market in action,” said Anna Sainsbury, chair and co-founder of GeoComply. “More than 100,000 Albertans across the province signed up through GeoComply-enabled platforms and engaged with licensed operators right out of the gate.”

New Yorkers divided over betting

From the massive volume of sports betting taking place in New York state, you might think it was hugely popular. A Siena University poll, however, suggests caution with that assumption.

Its research institute’s survey of 814 New York residents early this month found 39% believing online sports gambling is bad for the state compared to just 22% saying it’s good, with the rest in the middle or offering no opinion. Respondents under age 50 were more likely than older New Yorkers to view sports betting access favorably. That was accompanied by a finding that 25% of those surveyed had placed a bet of any kind on the outcome of a sports event in the past year.

New Yorkers were also asked their opinion about online sportsbooks’ ability to advertise, which is sometimes a hot topic considering how ubiquitous (and potentially annoying) the operators’ marketing can be. There was a clear divide on that, with 44% saying online sportsbooks should be permitted to advertise during televised sporting events, but 43% wanting it stopped. Just over half of those surveyed said it’s bad to have commentators on live telecasts commenting on potential bets and odds.

LeForbes sentencing postponed

In California and New York, there was activity around two key figures accused in sports betting scandals that are working their way through federal courts.

The sentencing for Damien LeForbes, the former professional poker player who ran an illegal bookmaking operation, had been set for Thursday in the U.S. District Court for Central District of California (Los Angeles), but it was continued to Sept. 3, according to a court docket update last Friday. LeForbes pled guilty in August 2024 to money laundering and operating an illegal gambling business.

On Monday, attorneys for former NBA player Terry Rozier, who is facing four charges around illegal sports betting, requested that he be allowed to change the collateral for his bond from his home in Florida to a home in Ohio. His lawyer wrote that because Rozier “remains on unpaid leave from the NBA, he would like to sell the property” and substitute the Ohio home for bond. Per the letter to U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York (Brooklyn) Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall, prosecutors do not oppose the request.

— Jill R. Dorson

Odds and ends

Hard Rock Digital has extended its operations beyond U.S. borders for the first time, announcing its launch Wednesday of online sports betting and iCasino play in Ontario. Welcome bonuses are available to new customers, who are able to play by both smartphone and desktop.
In another announcement from Canada, theScore Bet has reached a multi-year partnership with the Canadian Football League. Operating as the sportsbook of Penn Entertainment, theScore Bet becomes an official authorized gaming operator and official sports betting and online casino partner of the CFL in Ontario and Alberta. It will also be the presenting partner of the new CFL Fantasy game and mobile app launching this fall.