California sports betting: What's next?- CalMatters

Voters rejected two ballot measures to legalize sports betting in California. The backers of the measures are considering their next steps. The measures were funded by a handful of gaming companies. They were defeated by overwhelming majority of votes. A gambling industry lobbyist called the campaign tactics terrible. DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM referred CalMatters to a campaign spokesperson. It is unclear what the next step is.   “This campaign underscored our resolve to see California follow more than half the country in legalizing safe and responsible online sports gambling.”

Even before the election, Californians weren't enthusiastic about sports betting. By early November, 53% of likely voters would oppose the in-person betting measure and 64% would opposed the online proposition. The in person measure would have allowed tribes to add roulette and dice games, while the proposition would supply funding for homelessness solutions. For tribes, defeating the measure was more important than winning the one for online gambling. The Pechanga Band of Indians didn't spend any money on the issue.

The in-person sports betting measure was defeated. Businesses that offer betting card games are pleased with the outcome. Tribal gambling associations may also come out ahead. The defeat of Prop. 27 strengthens tribes' hand in any future negotiations. It also shows their ability to block things they oppose. They can be more persuasive in future. The Indian Gaming Association calls it a "huge victory".

Voters in California rejected a third initiative on sports betting this year. The gaming companies backing the measure are not going to walk away from California. Tribal leaders are considering the possibility of making another bid in the future. Legislators could pass a law allowing sports gambling or a constitutional amendment.   In 2019 and 2020, state legislators considered amendments to legalize sports betting. However, the negotiations between different gambling interests weren't resolved in time and the effort died. I. Nelson Rose, a gambling law expert and professor emeritus at Whittier Law School, says it's possible to try again to introduce a new initiative.

This year's election results are still being counted. It's not clear if there will be another ballot measure for the 2024 election. Some tribes supported the in-person tribal sports betting measure, but another group proposed a third measure. The third proposal didn't make it on the 2022 ballot and recently failed to gather enough signatures to make the 2018 ballot. Sports betting companies could decide to fund another proposal. In the short term, they could focus on other states where they might be able to launch online casino poker. In 2018, 31 states plus Washington, D.C. legalized sports gambling.