California Tribe Will Offer Sports Betting-Themed Class II Bingo App

A California tribe is partnering with New York gaming company to offer a sports betting-themed bingo app.

The Chicken Ranch Tribe of Me-Wuk Indians, which owns the Chicken Ranch Casino in Jamestown, has partnered alongside two Oklahoma tribes with company Vetnos LLC to launch PlaySqor.

PlaySqor utilizes a “first of its kind Class II sports-themed gaming technology,” per a press release. Think of it as a bingo version of daily fantasy sports — or DFS.

“PlaySqor targets the casual fan betting on their favorite athletes on a fast, fun fixed-odds betting platform, strategically developed with a bingo engine,” the release reads.

Here’s how it works. Players can bet as little as $1 on individual player matchups in sports ranging from football to baseball to golf and beyond. Then the winners of those matchups are placed on a bingo-style card. Players win money based on the rows or patterns created by those placements.

“Developed in consultation with Class II legal experts and using a Class II-experienced independent testing lab for strict compliance with Class II technical standards,” the release reads, “PlaySqor democratizes the sports vertical, with a fixed odds approach to wagering.”

There is no current legal sports betting in California. But Class II gaming is legal.

What Is Class II Gaming?

According to the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, Class II gaming is:

Class II includes several games, such as bingo (either with or without electronic game devices), lotto, and “non-banked” card games like poker. Class II games involve players competing against each other and not the “house” (although this is sometimes a difficult distinction to make given the similarity of modern Class II and Class III electronic devices).

The National Indian Gaming Commission regulates Class II gaming in California.

“We set out to deliver value and opportunity to Indian Country and are committed to deepening our relationships with tribes throughout the country,” Vetnos founder and Executive Chairman Joshua Berkowitz said in a statement. “Our proprietary technology platform and patented games change the landscape for tribal nations looking for a lower-risk entry point into sports gaming in a purely Class II format.”

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When Will PlaySqor Launch?

Each tribe will license the PlaySqor app and will be able to customize their version of it. The tribes will earn some of the revenue generated from the app. None of that will go to their state.

Valerie Spicer, chief gaming officer at Vetnos, told the Tulsa World the app should be available to download in the App Store and Google Play store at some point in the first quarter next year.

The Chicken Ranch Tribe of Me-Wuk Indians has publicly endorsed Prop 26. Its casino, Chicken Ranch Casino, features 600 slot machines and nine table games. It also has a 900-seat bingo hall, and 30,000 square feet of gaming space.

The Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma and the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes are also PlaySqor partners.