California Voters Will Be Deciding in 2022, Making Sports Betting Legal

Sports bettors in California will be able to legally bet Dodgers, Rams, and Lakers games at the horse-racing tracks and tribal casinos under the initiative who were qualified on Thursday for the November 2022 ballot.

This constitutional amendment allowing sports betting was drafted by the Native American tribes showing the political right in 2008 when they ended up spending $115 million for winning the approval for four ballots.

Mark Macarro, the tribal chairman of Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians, feels that it is an essential step of giving Californian voters an opportunity to participate in sports betting and safeguarding the law led by the authority.

However, card clubs felt left out from the share of sports betting in California and are expected to invest a reasonable amount for opposing the new ballot measure. According to card clubs, it is an attempt to monopolize the gaming industry.

Kyle Kirkland, president of the California Gaming Assn, feels that the initiative led by the club does nothing for the advancement of sports betting but expands the tribal casinos’ tax-free monopoly, and it rewards operators prioritizing their wealth.

California’s Late Entry

California is entering late in this game. Three years before the US Supreme Court, they removed all the legal barriers in most states to allow sports betting on different games, including basketball, baseball, and others.

However, presently the stake is relatively high in California as voters in the state will decide whether to go ahead with sports wagering.

Moreover, this legalization in sports betting will bring in $1 billion annual revenue without online betting. Once online betting is approved, it will bring in $3 billion.

California has many professionals sports teams representing the country. Some of the teams are- three teams of National Football League, four National Basketball Assns, Five Major League Baseball teams, and others.

Pennsylvania, one of the states with legal sports betting, generates $134 million, followed by New Jersey with $132 million.

In California, a total of 18 tribes submitted 1.4 million signatures, and the secretary of the state said that the counties have more than 1 million verified signs to qualify for the ballot measures.