Mark Macarro serves as tribal chairman of the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians and holds a board member position with the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA). NIGA has advocated that states considering legalizing sports betting should adhere to NIGA's Sports Betting Resolution, which includes principles like allowing tribes governmental authority over gaming regulations and ensuring tribes receive economic benefits. Since the 2018 repeal of PASPA, five states and two tribes have authorized legal sports gambling, while Senators Schucker and Hatch introduced a new federal sports betting bill that is expected to be reintroduced in 2019.

1. NIGA's Advocacy
Efforts Related to
Legalized Sports
Betting
Mark Macarro

2. Introduction
The recipient of a bachelor's degree in political science from the University
of California, Santa Barbara, Mark Macarro has served as tribal chairman of
the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians since 2002. Supplementing this role,
Mark Macarro holds a board member position with the National Indian
Gaming Association (NIGA).
NIGA has monitored the federal legislative landscape since the reversal of
the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), a ruling that
gave individual states authority to legalize sports betting. NIGA continues to
advocate that states considering sport betting that contain reservations
adhere to its Sports Betting Resolution. This resolution includes principles
such as allowing tribes to have governmental authority when it comes to
gaming regulations, tax-free sports-betting revenues, the protection of tribal
rights under gaming compacts and the Indian Gaming Regulation Act (IGRA),
and an economic benefit to tribal governments in a potential federal sports
gambling legalization proposal.

3. National Indian Gaming
Association
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down PASPA in May 2018, and
five states and two tribes have since authorized legal sports
gambling in their respective jurisdictions. Meanwhile, US
Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
introduced a new federal sports betting bill during the last few
days of the 2018 legislative year. The bill, which is expected to
be reintroduced in 2019, contains new changes and provisions
from PASPA.
NIGA is part of the AGA Sports Betting Task Force, and the topic
of legalized sports gambling was discussed thoroughly at the
2018 NIGA Mid-Year Conference and Expo. The event had a
record-breaking attendance of nearly 700 guests.