Pauma tribe opens sportsbook despite state ban

Casino Pauma opened Grove Sportsbook on November 12, offering betting on professional and college sports to customers aged 18 and over. The venue has eight self-service kiosks, accepts cash bets, and pays out winning tickets at the casino cashier.

Former San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman placed the opening ceremonial bet, predicting that the Los Angeles Chargers would beat the Baltimore Ravens. Pauma Band Chairman Temet Majel described the decision as a step toward the tribe's future. Majel said that as a sovereign nation, the tribe has a responsibility to make decisions that support its people, strengthen its governance, and guide its businesses.

Las Vegas-based consulting firm SCCG Management worked with the tribe during the opening process. The mobile betting service is planned to launch in the winter months, for guests physically present on the property only.

Unlike most California tribes, the Pauma tribe operates under federal Secretarial Procedures rules published by the Department of the Interior in July 2025, rather than under a compact with the state. These rules took effect after it was determined that California had not negotiated in good faith. The regulation gives the tribe primary authority to oversee its gaming operations and subjects them to additional oversight by the National Indian Gaming Commission.

However, this 43-page document does not explicitly authorize sports betting. In California, tribes continue to fight with prediction market operators over gaming rights, while discussions are also ongoing about a 2028 effort to legalize sports betting in the state again.