California Voters Support Sports Betting, According to Poll

A poll conducted in the biggest state in the union and the holy grail for sportsbooks, California, shows its residents now support sports betting. 

Prepare to Launch

Sports betting has been a contentious issue between the Native American gaming tribes and the nation’s mobile sportsbooks. In dueling campaigns that advocated for and against mobile sports betting several years ago, the Native American tribes effectuated the outcome they desired as residents voted “no” on a sports betting referendum question.

Each side spent hundreds of millions of dollars on their respective campaigns, and after the votes were counted, it became clear that nothing pertaining to gambling would be allowed without the blessing of the Native American tribes whose casinos dot the California landscape.

Mobile Sportsbooks’ Deferential Approach

Since that time, the mobile sports betting executives have taken a far more deferential approach to the tribes, and that respect has assuaged some of the ill will that was wrought during the political battle for sports betting back in November 2022.

A Politico-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab survey of more than 1,400 registered California voters revealed that 60% of those surveyed were amenable to legalizing sports betting. The survey showed that a majority of both men and women supported sports betting, although men outnumbered women in their support, 64% to 55%.

The poll was conducted between July 28th and August 12th, and the margin of error is estimated to be 2.6% of the results.

Change Is Coming

As of this writing, gambling in California is limited to tribal casinos, horse tracks, card rooms, and the state lottery. However, the mainstream culture shift in favor of sports betting underscores the change in attitudes surrounding it.

Many experts believe it will only be a matter of time before the Native American tribes throw their support behind mobile sports betting, and that may include allowing the sportsbooks to act as platform providers with a smaller cut of the revenue than they would normally receive. The mobile sportsbooks would likely have to partner with Native American casinos in order to gain access to the Golden State market.

Two bills, Proposition 26 and Proposition 27, would have paved the way for sports betting back in 2022, with the former permitting casinos and the state’s four major horse tracks to offer retail sports betting, while the latter would have allowed mobile sports betting for those 21 and over.

Tribal Opposition and Governor’s Stance

The tribes were roundly against Proposition 27, as it would have given the mobile sportsbooks much more power and minimized tribal influence and revenue. California Governor Gavin Newsom spoke out against Proposition 27 a month before the vote.

“Proposition 27 is bad for California. It would hurt California’s Indian tribes, increase the risks of underage gambling, and push billions of dollars out of California and into the pockets of out-of-state corporations. Vote No on 27,” said Newsom.

However, the sports betting market in California would dwarf New York, currently the leader in the sports betting industry. With so much revenue at stake, it appears as though it is not a question of if but when mobile sports betting becomes legal.