California sports betting a no-go

Sports betting in California is not going to happen this year. An initiative proposed in the state regarding sports betting was unable to move forward. The initiative did not receive enough signatures to qualify to be placed on the ballot next year and no other bills were introduced before the deadline.

No Sports Betting:

The sports betting initiative was filed in June of 2018 by a group called, Californians for Sports Betting. The goal was to have the idea place on the ballot in 2020 and residents could vote on whether or not they would see sports betting come to pass.

The initiative required 623,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot. Unfortunately, not one signature was obtained.

According to Legalsportsreport.com…

Californians for Sports Betting consultant, Russel Lowery, commented on the initiative by stating: “We never advanced to get a single signature. It started a conversation in California gaming on what is the right path forward, and those conversations will continue until they figure out the puzzle.”

Initiative Details:

The initiative was created to find a compromise between the cardrooms and tribes of the state. The two have been in constant back and forth regarding gambling in the state. The option would have allowed both to offer sports betting. The tribe would have the ability to offer roulette and craps via their casinos.

The initiative would have changed the state constitution. The constitution currently prohibits gambling unless the type offered is specified. An amendment would have been provided that authorizes sports wagering.

Reportedly, the initiative failed to advance due to the lack of donations. The initiative did not have the backing needed to gather enough signatures for the initiative to be placed on the ballot. Along with not enough funds to push for signatures, the initiative was not supported by the state’s tribes. This would most likely have become a problem as the tribes would have spent money to oppose the plan.