As California continues its push to become as self-sufficient as possible, an industry that has escaped its grasp for decades might be ready to enter its boundaries. If two lawmakers in the Golden State have their way, the subject of legalized sports gambling could make it onto next year’s ballot, giving residents the opportunity to vote on whether or not to allow the activity. The race is on to convince enough of their fellow lawmakers to support the initiative.
Senator Bill Dodd and Assemblyman Adam Gray have put together a bill that would update the state’s constitution to allow sports gambling. They have until June 2020 to get enough support in the Senate to pass the bill to the Assembly, where it would need to be approved by two-thirds for the proposal to make it to the ballot next November.
The good news is that Democrats control both chambers. This means that, even if Governor Gavin Newsom were to veto the measure, there is enough support in both for them to be able to override his decision. Newsom cannot stop the proposal from making it to the ballot, if approved by lawmakers, but he could subsequently try to block any legislation if state voters agree to allow sports wagers.
Dodd sat down for an interview with local Fox News affiliate KTXL last week, explaining, “We want to get an initiative on the ballot that the voters can understand, that’s easy to understand, and perhaps in the process maybe bring all the gambling institutions — card rooms, horse racing, tribal casinos — all together.”
The biggest obstacle facing lawmakers comes from the state’s tribes. They own 70 casinos in the state and are obviously opposed to any expansion that might jeopardize their revenue. They have fought consistently against any measure that even hints at allowing anyone other than themselves to offer gaming of any kind and are almost certainly already trying to manipulate lawmakers to deride the latest attempt.
There is good reason to allow sports gambling in California, as the state is home to 16 pro sports teams across the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL. That type of coverage means there’s a lot of possible revenue to be generated for the state’s coffers that is currently going across state lines to places like Nevada.
The measure introduced by Dodd and Gray doesn’t touch on mobile wagers, but this will almost certainly have to be included in the final legislation. According to most forecasts, online and mobile sports gambling will control 90% of the market within ten years. Additionally, California has a geography issue that keeps most of its residents far away from the current brick-and-mortar casinos. Gambling online would be the smartest option and the best way to maximize returns.
