California Sports Betting Battle Begins in Earnest

Heading into the new year, a total of 38 states have already legalized some form of sports betting, be it retail, mobile, or both. Much of the focus this year within the U.S. sports betting community is going to be directed at California.

Yes, sports betting proponents in California are gearing up to take yet another stab at getting sports betting legislation passed. Standing in the way are the usual suspects. That includes California's most powerful Indian Tribes as well as a bit of indifference among California voters.

The Process

The goal among initiative proponents is to get some meaningful legislation in front of voters in time for the November 2024 election cycle. To do that, initiative supporters, led by initiative spokesperson Kasey Thompson, will have to collect 874,641 valid signatures from registered voters. They will have to do that by a deadline of April 24, a date that was suggested by the California Secretary of State. That would give state officials enough time to verify signatures.

Initiative proponents were given the green light to start collecting the needed signatures, following the release of the attorney general’s circulating title and summary related to the ballot initiative. The signature-collecting process is set to begin.

According to Thompson in an interview with PlayUSA,

"Of course, we’re going to move forward with collecting signatures. I have the best signature company in California. As soon as we get the title and summary, I’ll have a printing company ready to fire off 1.2 million petitions for Californians to sign.”

While Thompson made clear he would start collecting signatures, he did not commit to finishing the task. He commented that he wants to spend the next six (6) weeks collecting signatures before he would commit to moving forward. One would assume he is looking at securing upwards of 500,000 signatures before he would be willing to keep committing resources to the process.

Tribal Letter Stands as a Major Obstacle

When word broke that the attorney general had released their circulating title and summary, the California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA) voted overwhelmingly to oppose the initiative. Additionally, 28 CNIGA members sent a letter to initiative proponents, asking them to withdraw the proposal.

Not to be deterred, Thompson has stated he will continue with his 6-week commitment. His source of encouragement stems from the fact that four (4) Tribes took a stand against CNIGA and decided to support the initiative. That could serve as an indication that some Tribes feel underrepresented. There is also some anger because the aforementioned Tribes felt they were lied to about what was in the initiative.

Daniel Salgado, chairman of the Cahuilla Band of Indians, is one of the initiative's supporters. He believes that the initiative's language is beneficial in terms of the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund that would be established. He stated that he is interested in putting together an association that would support the interests of the Tribes that are willing to stand behind this initiative.