Sports betting in California not popular with voters
Sports betting in California has not been popular with state voters this year. Both sports betting ballot initiatives in the state failed miserably compared to the 2022 election cycle.
This may be further confirmation that the two sports betting proposals introduced last month may prove to be unfortunate, and voters simply have no interest in revisiting the issue in the 2024 election.
Only 13% of California voters strongly support bringing regulated sports betting to the state, and 17% express support, according to California polling firm FM3 Research. This compares to 13% and 15% respectively in November 2022. So overall support for sports betting in the largest states increased by just 2% in one year.
Likewise, overall disapproval fell by the same amount, with 7% of voters remaining undecided. The share of California voters leaning against sports betting rose to 17% in the most recent poll, up from 16% last year. In contrast, according to FM3 data, the proportion of the "strong rival" camp dropped from 49% to 46%. This confirms what the state’s tribal gaming leaders have been saying in recent weeks: Golden State voters are not interested in sports betting right now.
Tribes Resist Recent Efforts
Pala Interactive co-founders Kasey Thompson and Reeve Collins filed the Sports Betting Regulation and Tribal Gaming Protection Act and the Tribal Gaming Protection Act last month. Tribal leaders in California said they were not informed of the plans before the filing.
The oversight drew "quick condemnation" from some tribal casino groups in the state. This could be a major misstep, as nothing would happen in California's Division III game without the Tribes' involvement. Data confirms that tribes reject the measures.
At least a dozen polls show California voters are not ready for retail sales. “Online investigations tend to be worse,” James Siva, president of the California National Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA), said in a Nov. 22 webcast.
Last week, 18 California tribes with gaming interests in the state voted against both sports betting plans, with five abstaining and none voting in favor of slot machines, Siva added. Twenty-one of CNIGA's 52 member tribes signed a letter opposing the proposal.
Time is not conducive to betting
The deadline for supporters of the Sports Betting Regulations and Tribal Gaming Protection Act and the Tribal Gaming Protection Act to seek public comment is Monday, with the deadline for amendments being Dec. 1.
These are narrow windows; even if they were met, it didn't mean the tribe would change their minds. California tribes are currently upset about sales pitches that somehow bring black market sportsbooks operating in California out of the shadows. It's a complex maze that could threaten the tribe's sovereignty.
Some tribal gaming leaders in California have publicly stated that sports betting won’t come to the state until 2026 at the earliest, with mobile betting even further away.
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Source: www.casino.org
