California: The Next State to Legalize Sports Betting?

Over the last several months, states across America have legalized sports betting including Kansas, Maine and others that you wouldn't expect. Some have even come to believe that we may soon legalize online sports betting across the nation. That brings us one step closer toward legalization of online gambling as well.

California: The New Battleground

California surprisingly remains out of the loop in sports betting, and Las Vegas has largely benefited from this considering how 30 percent of visitors to Las Vegas came from California in 2021. This November, California added two sports betting legalization measures on the ballot. They plan to allow it, but it will have tighter restrictions even compared to a state like Kansas if you vote for the wrong measure—Proposition 26. Under that measure, they can only wager at the brick-and-mortar casinos and racetracks on tribal lands.

Mix of Support

Proposition 27 as the bill has become known, will legalize online sports betting. You can wager from apps with it. Hundreds of millions of dollars were spent on ads to market to Californians. Proposition 27 sells itself as easing homelessness across the state with a 10 percent tax on sports betting activity. At first, they would spend the funds to get it up and running, but after they have the infrastructure, an estimated 85 percent of the funding will go toward homelessness. The final 15 percent would go toward Native American tribes in California not directly involved in sports betting.

Which Has Greater Support?

As of right now, it appears that Prop 27 has a slightly worse response at 27 percent. In comparison, Proposition 26 has 31 percent support. The issue here lies in the fact that no one knows what either of the propositions mean. Even the advertisements on them remain woefully vague to garner more support. However, no one truly knows what any of it means.

The lack of support for Prop 27 may mean that people throw out the measure altogether to wait until 2024 to make another vote on it.

Will Gambling Addiction Follow?

Some people may suffer gambling addiction, but gambling builds itself on sensory compulsions. For example, smelling the freshly cut grass on the racetrack or the edges of the dice digging into your hands. Many question if the online platforms for sports betting and other types of gambling will ever be able to compete with that.

Conclusion

This year, several states voted to legalize sports betting including Minnesota, Kansas, Massachusetts and Maine. We have become a nation of sports bettors where an increasing number of states have at least legalized sports betting. Some states make it more restrictive than others. For example, Massachusetts keeps a tight grip on it by forcing you to place sports wagers only at their established casinos. Other states like Kansas allow you to place a wager as long as your physical location is in Kansas. This has made it easier for those in Kansas City on the Missouri side to take advantage of sports betting as well by driving to the Kansas side and driving back after placing a wager.