Failed Initiative Keeps Residents California Dreamin’ About Sports Betting

• The Initiative needed 5% of the voter turnout in the last election
• Legislators missed the February 22 deadline to introduce sports betting bills
• California hosts 19 sports teams across the five major professional sports leagues.

In an attempt to bring sports betting to California by way of the 2020 ballot, an initiative needing 623,211 signatures fell short in February – by 623,211 people.

The group entitled Californians for Sports Betting, who brought the measure forward last year, failed to garner a single signature in California – a state of nearly 40 million residents. The state also missed the window for filing a bill in legislation, as the February 22 deadline has passed.

California has now become one of the minority states that did not introduce a bill to expand, permit, or study sports betting in 2019.

One of the reasons for the legislators failing to bring forth a bill may be a direct tie with the state of gambling in California. Currently, Native American tribes hold exclusivity to all forms of casino gaming and seem unwilling to renegotiate an agreement.

The tribes would be willing to continue their monopoly on gaming but would not want the industry to hit the lottery retailers or cardrooms according to Chairman of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association, Steve Stallings.

“Expansion of gaming is a slippery slope. When the state or other interests violate that, then tribes are concerned,” said Stallings.

The Native American tribes of California and Northern Nevada have built up a $9 billion industry so it is understood why anything threatening the success of the industry would be opposed.

“It’s not going to happen legislatively without some sort of pressure from an initiative”, said Russell Lowery, the frontman for Californians for Sports Betting.

Lowery’s proposal would have modified the state’s constitution and permitted tribes to allow roulette and craps and their casinos. Additionally, the cardrooms and casinos would have been able to hold sportsbooks and accept wagers.

Even if it was the idea that mattered most, Lowery’s doubtful view of the legislature’s motivation to remedy the issue came back to bite him as his organization did not take the necessary strides.

While the chances are slim, there are still efforts to bring sports betting to California in a timely manner. Initiatives must be certified 131 days ahead of the election, which sets the deadline at June 25, 2020.