As part of their deep commitment to education, the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation was an early and generous investor in advanced education and research in tribal gaming.
Nearly 20 years ago, the tribe endowed the Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming (SITG) at San Diego State University (SDSU) with three clear mandates: 1) to develop and offer the nation’s first four-year degree program in tribal casino operations management (a B.S. in hospitality and tourism management); 2) to produce and direct academic research on tribal government gaming; and, 3) to inform and elevate the public policy debate around tribal government gaming and nation building.
With the support of our gaming industry partners, the Sycuan Institute is demonstrating a shared commitment to the long-term goal of developing a professional class of tribal government gaming experts who enhance and lead the industry globally.
Expanding Off-Campus
To extend these mandates beyond the SDSU campus, the SITG offers fully online classes in tribal gaming for both its degree and Professional Certificate. The certificate program consists of 12 units across five courses and can be completed in nine months through three pathways: 1) the traditional B.S. in hospitality and tourism management on campus; 2) a standalone certificate through SDSU’s Global Campus; or, 3) through the American Indian Studies (AIS) degree completion program fully online. The institute’s partnership with Red Lake Nation College (RLNC) is a pilot project demonstrating that our program can be exported across Indian Country.
Expanding the Research Agenda
The Covid-19 pandemic supported the Sycuan Institute’s early move to distance education. The shutdown of the $40 billion tribal gaming industry also revealed new research topics. Over the last several years, the video gaming and esports ecosystem has seen large shifts in communications, technology, and access.
Tribal youth maintained critical connections through playing games and tournaments online through the pandemic. Despite enduring barriers to participate and consume in rural areas, video gaming is becoming a significant aspect of tribal youth culture and worthy of academic research. The Sycuan Institute invested in the first-ever survey of tribal youth video game/esports participation by connecting SDSU Professor Brandon Mastromartino with Project Quipu (PQ) and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES).
This ongoing project aims to better understand the interests, habits and intentions surrounding video gaming and esports among tribal youth, with the results informing advances in career development, synergies with the casino gaming industry, and opportunities for community building and infrastructure expansion in Indian Country.
This project also seeks to empower educators and communities to foster the next generation of industry leaders. As we educate and mentor a generation of future leaders in the tribal government gaming industry, the Sycuan Institute continues to further our research and educational mission and enhance our community and industry partnerships.
Extending the Work
Building on the new direction in esports and video gaming, as well as Professor Mastromartino’s expertise in sports management, the Sycuan Institute is establishing itself as the leader in education and research on sports wagering in California. The public policy debate surrounding legalization and regulation of sports wagering in California
presents a pivotal moment for stakeholders and the public at large, heralding significant economic, social and ethical implications.
For a state with a rich sporting culture and a large, diverse population, potential legalization of sports betting in California requires robust research and debate. The Sycuan Institute is strategically positioned to pioneer sports wagering education and research and is poised to support a proposed Institute for Sport Experiences at SDSU in the near future. Such an institute would prepare students for careers in the sports industry through experiential learning and industry networking while also pursuing a robust research agenda and providing executive education.
Recognizing that Indian Country is an ever-changing landscape, aligning with Professor Mastromartino’s work on sports consumer behavior to create a new sports program at SDSU ensures that that Sycuan Institute’s work remains relevant and impactful.
Focused on topics such as consumer insights, the economic impact of sports betting on communities, and responsible gaming practices, future SDSU projects will contribute to the body of knowledge in the field and inform best practices for the growing sports betting industry. Ultimately, the Sycuan Institute will partner with industry and academic leaders and the new Institute for Sport Experiences to develop relevant curriculum and executive training in areas such as sportsbook operations, responsible sports wagering marketing, and cultural issues surrounding sports betting.
As we explore new frontiers of research, including the pivotal questions surrounding sports betting, the Sycuan Institute looks to industry and academic leaders for partnerships to drive innovation in education and research.
