American tribal gaming operators have thrown their weight behind the US commercial casino lobby group’s push for legal sports betting.

On Monday, the American Gaming Association (AGA) announced that the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) had joined the AGA’s Coalition on Sports Betting, which aims to convince the federal government to repeal and replace the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).

NIGA chairman Ernie Stevens Jr. released a statement saying the group’s support for the Coalition “will enable us to coordinate with and provide feedback to the AGA with regard to tribal gaming concerns as the Coalition advances its policy objectives.”

Stevens made it clear that the chief concern of NIGA, which represents 184 federally recognized tribes, was that “tribal interests are protected, particularly avoidance of any negative impacts on existing compacts and exclusivity clauses.” But bottom line, NIGA members are interested in offering legal betting “as part of their overall entertainment package and as an additional source of revenue for tribal governments.”