California voters indicate some support for legal sports betting
Under half of those surveyed in a poll said they would back legalized wagering ahead of November ballot
A poll has found that less than half, or 45%, of California voters surveyed would support a proposed constitutional amendment to allow sports betting to be legalized.
A third of those polled by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) said they were inclined to vote no, while 22% of voters reported being “undecided.”
Of those who are interested in pro sports, almost two-thirds (63%) supported sports betting in the Golden State, while only a third (33%) of those with no interest in sport would support the amendment.
Meanwhile, and perhaps unsurprisingly, men (55%) are more open to the idea than women (35%), and support is greater among young and middle-aged voters as opposed to older generations.
As for political allegiances, around four in 10 of both Democrats and Republicans are inclined to back the legislation.
IGS co-director Eric Schickler said: “It is rare these days for a political issue to not be seen as partisan. But legalizing sports betting in California appears to be one of them, at least for the time being.”
One ballot measure that would legalize sports betting in California has qualified for the election on November 8.
However, supporters of two further proposals are now gathering the signatures of votes in a bid to be included on the ballot.
One is a tribal-supported question for retail betting only, and the other is one where the cardrooms would be involved in sports betting.
If sports betting is given the go-ahead in the state, it is likely to be retail-only sportsbooks, at least in the short-term.
Yet three California tribes are looking to block operator-backed online sports betting and they have created the Californians for Tribal Sovereignty and Safe Gaming committee.
The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, the Rincon Band of Luisueno Indians, and Wilton Rancheria say they have a $100m budget, the same amount US operators have promised to spend on their initiative.
California’s key stakeholders – the tribes, cardrooms and racetracks – have long disagreed on gambling expansion, with online poker’s never-ending and fruitless saga being a prime example.
But with a population of almost 40 million, making it America’s most-populous state, and California’s economy being the fifth largest in the world, the state is a massive prize for the industry.