California Sports Betting: Third Tribe Supports Wagering Initiative

On June 28, Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber officially verified that the November election ballot would include California mobile sports betting proposal. But even more positive news has arrived since, improving the chances of legal wagering heading to the Golden State.

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California Sports Betting: Another Tribe Signals Support

As of Tuesday, the Santa Rosa Rancheria Tachi Yokut Tribe joined the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians and the Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians in supporting the “California Solutions to Homelessness and Mental Health Support Act,” which will include legalizing California sports betting on the November ballot.

It’s otherwise known as Proposition 27, and it’s financially propelled by online sportsbooks such as DraftKings and BetMGM. Assuming it trumps the retail-only initiative (Proposition 26), the referendum would act would permit sportsbook operators to inhale in-state mobile wagers from partnerships with tribes.

“Prop. 27 will provide us with economic opportunity to fortify our Tribe’s future for generations and protect Tribal sovereignty,” Leo Sisco, the chairman of the Santa Rosa Rancheria Tachi Yokut Tribe, said in a press release. “And it is the only measure that will deliver hundreds of millions of dollars each year to help solve homelessness and address mental health in California.”

On the flip side, Prop. 26 would authorize California sports betting at tribal-owned casinos and four horse racetracks only, including Golden Gate Fields, for those who are 21 years old or older. Prop. 26 would not approve mobile sports wagering.

After allocating proposition numbers to the ballot initiative on July 1, the aforementioned Weber also solicited residents for their perspective on which California sports betting arguments for either proposition should be incorporated into the voter information guide.

If California sports betting comes to fruition as a result of Prop. 27, the California Legislative Analyst’s Office anticipates the state to to reel in hundreds of millions in tax revenue.

“Money you can rely on, year after year,” Nathan Click, a spokesperson for the online gaming initiative, added. “In the state of California, we don’t have a permanent revenue source to fund homelessness projects and to get people into permanent housing.”