California Gaming Legislation Ahead of the Curve

The betting landscape in the US has changed immeasurably in recent years, with the Supreme Court Ruling issued four years ago. 

With the path cleared for individual states to make their own minds up about sports gambling, there’s been a tidal wave of support for the legalisation. Many US states have made their move and implemented new laws introducing legal sports gambling. But some have either opted not to go ahead or are still in the process of deciding. 

California belongs firmly in the latter group with lots of ongoing conversation about sports gambling in the region, and what it could look like. 

With more US states now legislating for sports gambling than those against it, which camp will California fall into?

The Case for California

There are 40 million residents in California and more pro sports teams in the state than anywhere else. It’s a location that’s perfectly lined up for sports gambling. 

Although there are many issues to consider when deciding whether to legalise sports gambling, the potential revenue that could be raised is a factor that shouldn’t be ignored. Many states have taken a pragmatic approach on the matter, acknowledging that legal betting is preferable for many reasons, not least due to the potential taxes. And in California, the market could be huge, representing an enormous windfall for local government coffers. 

Sports betting is currently prohibited in California, but there are four potential routes being examined. Any one of these could lead to the legalisation of sports betting in the state, but there’s no sign of a resolution any time soon.

Should it decide to go ahead, operators would be queuing up to apply for a licence. Entain, the owner of UK online casino site PartyCasino, already has an established presence in New Jersey and Canada and would be expected to be leading the pack. Many others would undoubtedly follow as California offers a huge opportunity for operators to establish themselves in the US market. 

The Potential Routes

In November 2022, there will be a ballot on the potential alternatives for sports betting, but supporters of each need to fulfill the criteria before they can be named on the ballot. 

Four different groups are trying to achieve this, but at the time of writing, only one has confirmation of being included in the 2022 ballot. 

California voters will be able to have their say on betting in the state, but if any option on the ballot receives approval, it could go live in 2023. At the moment, there are no guarantees that sports betting will receive support in a vote. In February, a poll showed approval for sports betting had a 12% majority, a margin that could easily swing either way. 

Different factions are currently battling it out for the ballot paper, with tribal casinos unhappy with other options being put forward. 

If one of the four potential betting routes receives approval, work will still be required to set up legislation and regulation before it can launch. 

California certainly seems as if it might be on its way to legalising gaming, but the road ahead still has a way to go.