California Sports Betting Bill Leaves Us In Suspense

• California sports betting legalization has put sports bettors in suspense as Tuesday’s hearing made SCA-6 a Suspense File.
• SCA-6 would put legal sports betting to a vote in November 2020 by the constituents of the Golden State.
• A final decision must be made by June 25 with the next hearing scheduled for June 18.

SACRAMENTO – SCA-6 the bill that would bring the topic of legalizing sports betting to the people of California through the November 2020 ballot did not pass in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday.

Primary bill sponsor, Senator Bill Dodd was not in attendance. The hearing went just as the last one had, with calls coming in for those in favor and those in opposition.

Again, the same thing stood out among those that were against SCA-6 and those that were not during this hearing.

All those wanting the bill to pass were people in law enforcement and gaming companies. It was the Tribal communities in California that were not behind seeing the bill move any further in the California State Legislature.

In the end, there was no vote on SCA-6 as the Committee decided to place the California sports betting bill in the Suspense File.

What Does This Mean For SCA-6 And California Sports Betting?

SCA-6 is now a Suspense File but what does that mean exactly?

In the simplest of explanations, it means that acting on the bill will be done by way of budget discussions.

When the California State Legislature meets to speak about their fiscal budget, Suspense Files like SCA-6 will be brought to the table for consideration. Legal sports betting in California could bring upwards of $700 million in annual revenue once it’s become a well-established industry.

The coronavirus pandemic has ultimately given California a tremendous amount of debt, not that they were without it beforehand but the complete shut down of businesses has hurt the economy financially.

It’s estimated that they will be $54 billion in debt once all is said and done.

Budget talks will consist of what cuts need to be made as well as what new revenue streams could be brought on to help ease the burden that will be felt in the coming years in the Golden State. SCA-6 is one that would be able to help quite a bit which is why discussions look to be favorable when they do occur.

“The timing is critical because the coronavirus pandemic has caused a multi-billion state budget deficit that threatens funding for things like schools and public safety,” said Dodd to LegalSportsBetting.

What’s Next?

Almost 100 different bills will be discussed during a budget hearing after their time on the floor of the Senate Appropriations Committee Tuesday.

If a bill has the potential to bring California more than $50,00 annually then it turns into a Suspense File. The hearing for all Suspense Files will be held by the Committee on June 18.

That gives SCA-6 one week after the hearing to move or die in the Senate.

This hearing will not allow for any more outsider input and will be strictly Committee based. All decisions made will be done using the information gathered through the various hearings that have already taken place along with weighing the options for profit potential for California’s economy.

Should SCA-6 pass and move on through the final hurdles within the Senate in a week’s time then it would see a one-time payment fee to California’s General Fund at a price ranging from $438,000 to $584,000 to cover the costs of being on the November 2020 ballot.

The future of legal sports betting in California is leaving the people in suspense for two more weeks.

News tags: Bill Dodd | California | California Senate Appropriations Committee | California State Legislature | Coronavirus | legal sports betting California | SCA-6 | Suspense File