California Governor Takes Stand on Sports Betting

As voters in California are going to be faced with two significant questions on sports betting, there have been plenty of people speaking out. Governor Gavin Newsom has not made his opinion known throughout much of the debate, but he finally offered up his stance earlier this week.

Newsom is opposed to Proposition 27 as he believes that it is not what is best for the state of California. Proposition 27 will be on the ballot and will ask residents to vote to legalize mobile sports betting.

There were several reasons cited as to why Newsom is against Proposition 27 and one is the risk of underage or illegal gambling coming to the state. Another concern that Newsom has is that it would harm the Native American tribes in the state, and that group is also working on trying to get betting established as well.

Proposition 26 will also face voters on November 8, and that question will seek to legalize retail sports betting at the tribal casinos throughout the state. Native American tribes continue to control the major gambling industry, and adding sports betting would increase revenue.

What makes this vote unique is that voters are choosing between the two props as each could be legalized, or both could be shot down. Both sides have been spending millions in advertising to spread their message, but it might not be doing much good for either side.

Surveys Continue to Track the Data

As with any type of election, there are always companies surveying voters to get their take on the issues. Nearly all of the reports have been extremely negative for both of the propositions that will be on the ballot.

There does seem to be a little more support for Proposition 26, but close to 46% of those surveyed are still planning to vote no. A majority of voters oppose Proposition 27, and there are still those residents that are unsure about both issues.

This public statement from Newsom is expected to damage the chances of both propositions getting enough support to pass.

Two-Year Battle Set to Begin

DraftKings and FanDuel are two of the biggest online sportsbook operators that are pushing to get Proposition 27 passed in the state. Both companies have launched aggressive advertising campaigns to try and sway voters, but that has slowed down recently.

Executives from both companies have recently spoken out and have all but admitted defeat at the polls. The sportsbook companies would be thrilled if the vote were to pass, but they appear to have their sights set on 2024.

If both propositions do fail as expected then residents of California should expect to see advertisements facing them for the next two years. Legislators will also get involved as that is another path that could end up getting sports betting to the state.