Legalization of Sports Betting in California

If you are a big lover of winter, then you are probably happy to see that November has started. However, if you live in California, then next November is going to be more interesting to you. For exactly one year, all your neighbors, friends, and family members will get the chance to choose. On election day, they will get the right to choose whether sports betting is going to be legalized within the state.

A year before the crucial moment starts is the best time to analyze what could happen in the future. From this perspective, it is hard to provide a clear answer. However, there are certain things that we know.

First of all, there will probably be three sports betting proposals on the California ballot. So far, only one is 100% going to be there, while others are still unsure. Yet, according to rumors and opinions of different gambling experts, the secured ballot is not going to be the only one. Sooner or later, we will get a clear answer.

So, What Is Necessary for the Legalization of Sports Betting?

Before we get to the main point, there is one thing that we have to explain to people. If sports betting gets approved by the voters, then all the residents of California will get the chance to enjoy mobile gambling as well. That automatically means that people in California will get a lot of sports betting opportunities in the future. It may sound like a joke, but every industry that starts to develop in this state reaches success. That is the reason why many experts predict California could be the biggest sports betting market in the world.

But getting ballot access is not easy at all. For starters, a million signatures will have to be gained. That means around 8% of the total number of voters (according to the previous elections) will have to give their signatures. The deadline for something like that is April 18, next year.

Experts Predict Three Different Options

So, what can exactly happen in the future? As mentioned, there is no clear answer, but there are three options that we would like to highlight here. All three of them can be interesting for sports gamblers and other gambling enthusiasts. Let’s analyze them one by one.

First Option: Retail Betting at Racetracks and Tribal Casinos

One of the ballots that are already determined is the legalization of retail sports betting. After signatures were collected, the request was sent by 18 different California tribes. Logically, this was an outstanding moment for all the sports betting lovers that finally want to enjoy betting from their mobile.

However, this law change does not mean anything to those people that love online sports betting. Despite that, it only defines the meager tax that is going to be beneficial for the state. It seems that the racetrack obligation is going to be 10%. The role of the tribes will only be connected with the regulatory costs and that’s it!

If this is the only option that appears on the election day, then nothing new is going to change in the sports gambling industry. At least, that is the comment that most gambling experts have.

Second option: Mobile Betting Will Be Added to the List

The next option that may appear is connected with the mobile operators. Many of them realized that tribal proposal is a good way to start with the legalization procedure. They will try to become partners with the tribes and ensure a legal and safe business operating that way. According to the different sources, the entire structure of the law will not be different from the Tribal proposal. Mobile betting tax across the state would be 10% in case this change turns into reality.

However, there is another initiative that is going to be interesting. If bettors across the state place the wager at some of the unlicensed betting platforms, they will have to pay 15% tax to all the winnings they have. That way, the number of frauds and scandals within this industry will probably be reduced a lot. No one would want to gamble at those casinos and online bookmakers that do not have state approval.

Third Option: All Sports Bettors Will Be Happy

Okay, the subtitle probably seems silly, but things would be much more regulated in case the third option turns into reality. Option number three suggests that all tribal casinos, card rooms, and racetracks will get the chance to operate online. Similar to the previous option, all the betting companies will become accessible on different mobile devices. However, their only task would be to sign a partnership with some of the existing betting platform providers that already operate online.

If this scenario happens, then there is a big chance the sports betting taxes will be around 15%. However, something more important is the regulations that will be developed by the responsible authorities. All the statutes, policies, and gambling rules will pre precisely determined. In that way, all the honest and legit companies will finally get the chance to work under normal conditions while all the players will be completely safe.

Voters Will Get the Necessary Education

Well, everyone has the right to share his opinion. It is actually pretty good that someone asks the residents of the state what they think about sports betting. However, keep in mind that many fake news and rumors are published online. Because of that, uninformed people may make bad decisions when Election Day comes.

Anthony Robers, the chairman of Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, believes that measures are bad. He believes that they will not be beneficial for the tribes at all. That is the reason why this institution is preparing a “set of lessons” that will educate all the voters. After getting the appropriate information, every individual will get the chance to make his own conclusions. Logically, the education they get will directly influence the results of the voting.

Final Thought

When you research the gambling and sports betting industry around the world, you can easily see it was beneficial for the national economy a lot. Despite that, it is worth mentioning that this form of gambling has changed the mentality and habits of people. Most people would rather stay at home and recharge their batteries with different gambling and betting options. That was an excellent alternative during the pandemic (the period when the gambling industry exploded).

Sports betting taxes will certainly support the economy of this state. However, that should not be the only reason why you should vote for the legalization of sports betting. Instead of that, we suggest you get proper information before making the final decision on Election Day.