That is, of course, if the good people of the Golden State should welcome them.

Gambling Proposals In CA

Voters may see up to five different gambling proposals at the ballot box in November. With a wide variety of measures and incentives, it could get overwhelming.

To combat the confusion, some of these campaign groups are taking a proactive start on both polling and educating the populace on the distinctions between each of the prospective US sports betting laws.

The Coalition For Safe, Responsible Gaming conducted a recent survey to gauge public interest and support for Initiative #21-0017A1. This proposal, known as the Corporate Online Sports Wagering Initiative, has yet to meet the signature count needed to qualify for the ballot.

However, it comes in direct response to an in-person tribal sportsbook measure that qualified last year.

The survey, whose work concluded earlier this month, studied the change in perspective of 1,094 California voters between November 2021 and April 2022.

When the pool of participants was first asked whether they would vote “Yes” or “No” on the 18+ mobile sports betting proposal, the majority surprisingly leaned against it.

Poll Results Prove Unfavorable

The investigation found that, in November, 48% of respondents said “No” and 42% of respondents said “Yes,” leaving only 10% undecided and/or refused.

Six months later, participants returned for a check-in to see if and how their views had shifted. The same respondents did a cold read of the initiative’s official Title and Summary before confirming their choices.

The results came back with an even greater majority against the Corporate Online Sports Wagering Initiative. 53% of the pool claimed “No,” 36% claimed “Yes,” with 10% still undecided.

But the survey didn’t end there.

Poll workers also examined whether pro and con statements affected voters’ propensity to lean in either direction. The content was assembled using five “Yes” statements and five “No” statements.

The “Yes” statements were pulled directly from campaign materials distributed by the corporate initiative’s proponents. “Yes,” statements included subjects like the push for diversity in California’s gaming industry and funding aid to prevent homelessness.

“No” statements were pulled from arguments made by the state’s tribes against corporate gaming. These included the threat to tribal sovereignty and risks that follow the implementation of online gambling, such as underage play.

Drastic Change In Perspective

After reviewing the information, the pool was surveyed again. This time, 64% of the voters were against the measure, 25% still favored the measure, and 11% were undecided.

From November to April, the Corporate Online Sports Wagering Initiative lost almost a quarter of its support among survey participants.

California won’t be just any legal sports betting state. Whoever controls the market will oversee one of the nation’s most lucrative gambling jurisdictions. There is a lot of power and responsibility that comes with such a role.

Offshore sportsbooks are always a viable option for legal 18+ sports betting. Fans shouldn’t feel pushed into a corner with this measure.

With so much at stake, voters should thoroughly review all of the proposals and make sure that sportsbook privileges are awarded responsibly, if at all.

Source: Stand With CA Tribes

The next big fish to fry? California.

Betting Initiatives In The Golden State

With over 24 million sports betting patrons up for grabs, the stakes are high in the Golden State. Moreover, the 2022 Midterm Elections are just around the corner, making the tension even higher.

Up to four different sports betting ballot initiatives may be on the table for Californians come November. The first, already having met ballot qualifications, would authorize retail betting at tribal casinos and horse racing tracks.

California’s other ballot candidates aim for a more liberal approach to betting. They include provisions for commercial operators to host mobile betting as well as retail.

Because of the state’s population, sports betting is expected to become an expensive battle of the lobbyists. A political action committee for the tribes’ initiative already raised an impressive $13 million.

Betting Becomes A Multi-Million Dollar Ordeal

But commercial operators are pushing hard to enter California’s betting market. One of the initiatives, led by DraftKings and Fanduel, garnered upwards of $100 million in just two days. More astounding, the funds came from only seven contributors. Among them are:

• DraftKings – $16,666,667
• Penn National Gaming (Barstool Sports) – $12,500,000
• Bally’s Interactive – $12,500,000
• WSI (WynnBet) – $12,500,000
• BetFair – $16,666,667
• BetMGM – $16,666,667
• FBG Enterprises (Fanatics) – $12,500,000

These figures are massive. We’d also like to mention that each of these contributions was paid using loans. But given California’s massive gaming population, it makes sense.

If the commercial sportsbooks get their way, the return on this massive investment will be more than favorable. A DraftKings executive recently called the state “one of the holy grails” in sports betting.

Still, some fear that voters will be overwhelmed by all of the ballot initiatives, further hindering the state’s chances at betting by 2023.

With so many competitors vying for a slightly different version of California sports betting, these operators may be cannibalizing their own interests.

The Weight Of California’s Impact

Should voters approve of any sports betting law in 2022, the remaining non-betting states are expected to soon follow. Law professor Marc Edelman elaborated on this point:

“If we think about progressive legislation, or legislation to protect consumer welfare, California lies at the forefront… If California legalizes sports gambling it becomes very unlikely that another state would arise as the consumer-oriented opposer of sports gambling.”

Marc Edelman, Baruch College NYC

Edelman isn’t wrong but, then again, the rest of the US has been slow to follow the Golden State on other measures such as recreational cannabis.

Nonetheless, California sports betting is now a very real proposition. Voters in the state should begin researching the sports betting initiatives to prepare for this historic upcoming election.

Source: New York Times

More than half of the US has access to sports betting in some capacity, whether it be through retail locations, online sites, or mobile gambling applications. US states such as Ohio and Massachusetts are quickly filing sports betting legislation.

California Considers Domestic Sports Betting

However, some states have greater obstacles to overcome before welcoming domestic sports betting. California, for example, has anti-gambling legislation written into its Constitution.

The language directly prohibits “lotteries” which translates to any game of chance. Despite having unrestricted access to legal cannabis, Californians cannot even engage in Daily Fantasy Sports.

To make California sports betting a reality will require a lot of work. A voter-approved constitutional amendment is required for any gambling expansion in the state.

Even so, it is beginning to seem like change is near for the Golden State.

Sports Betting To Solve Homelessness

As homelessness rates continue to spike in California, legislators have been scrambling for a solution. The state has over 150,000 homeless inhabitants, meaning that a large sum of tax revenues will be needed to tackle housing and assistance programs.

Of the three ballot initiatives being proposed, only one targets the issue of homelessness. It is titled the California Solutions to Homelessness, Public Education Funding, Affordable Housing, and Reduction of Problem Gambling Act.

As wordy as the title is, it is very direct in describing the ballot initiative’s objective.

The initiative states that despite having allocated over “$10 billion in recent years” state legislators have not been able to keep up with the rising costs associated with California’s homeless population.

Should the ballot initiative get approved, sports betting would be authorized to take place via retail and online locations. Additionally, these operations would only be hosted by California’s Native American Tribes and their partners.

Support Across The Cities

The Mayors of Fresno, Long Beach, Oakland, and Sacramento have already backed the initiative. Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said the following about the initiative:

“Instead of leaving funding for homelessness and mental health services up to the whims of the economy, this initiative will create a stable and reliable funding source to tackle these immense challenges…”

With states like New Jersey touting a billion-dollar month of betting, California can no longer turn the cheek to these gambling revenues. This is especially true given the amount of Californians that travel to Nevada to bet on sports.

Even so, there is no guarantee that California voters are ready to welcome state-sponsored sports betting with open arms. The state may have to wait a few more years before it can expect a sportsbook rollout.

Nonetheless, there are plenty of legal 18+ sportsbooks available via offshore online services. Californians can play offshore without having to worry about the consequences of dealing with an illegal bookie.

Source: The Sacramento Bee