New Year Same CA Sports Betting Bill, To Be Heard In January

• California lawmakers are preparing hearings for bill CA ACA 16.
• The tribes in California have also submitted their own constitutional amendment.
• Hearings for sports betting are expected to begin in January.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California lawmakers are expecting to begin sports betting hearings on January 15, 2020.

Changing The Constitution

State Senator Bill Dodd filed CA ACA 16 to be heard next year. This bill is a constitutional amendment that would allow sports betting to take place in California if it passes.

At the moment, the bill is only three pages long. There is not enough information in the bill detailing the ins and outs of California sports betting. That is why lawmakers want to create hearings. These hearings will allow various gaming stakeholders to give their opinion on what they need to operate sportsbooks. Sen. Dodd wants to make California sports betting as accessible as possible.

“I think if we don’t include mobile, then sports betting will remain in the shadows in the state of California. Part of our goal is to take it out of the shadows, tax it for the benefit of public schools and make sure problem gamblers get the help they need,” said Sen. Dodd.

States with mobile sports betting have generated more revenue than states that do not. With California being such a large state, mobile sports betting will be essential. Without it, the tax revenue generated from the activity likely won’t make as much of a contribution to the state budget.

Tribes Want In

California lawmakers are not the only ones who want legal sports betting for the state. The tribes of California are also submitting their own constitutional amendment.

Like other tribes in the country, the tribes in California want sports betting to be centralized in their casinos. Although they would be able to provide sports betting to anyone in the state, there are some limitations.

States with legal sports betting exclusively through tribes, like New Mexico, keep sports betting in their casinos. The current amendments sought out by tribal casino owners in California would do the same and keep sports betting within the walls of their establishment. This means that access to sports betting in California would be very limited.

“Frankly, I didn’t expect it, but it really wasn’t a surprise. They obviously have firm beliefs on what they see should be happening in this area, and that’s their right. But I represent all the people in the state of California, not just the tribes. And I think our approach to this should be more holistic,” said Sen. Dodd.

In the end, the hearings will have many gambling stakeholders present. From sports betting operators to the tribes of California, everyone will have their voices heard. The hearings for California sports betting will begin on January 15 next year.

News tags: Bill Dodd | CA ACA 16 | California | Sacramento