Commercial operators´ mobile sports wagering initiative meets eligibility requirements, will be on California ballot

On Monday night, the California Secretary of State’s Office officially reclassified the “California Solutions to Homeless and Mental Health Solutions Act” as an “eligible statewide ballot measure,” meaning there will be two legal sports betting options on the ballot — and both could pass.

The measure, which earmarks most tax dollars for combating the state’s burgeoning homeless problem, is backed by a coalition of seven major sports betting companies that have already put $100 million behind the effort. Within hours of the move, a tribal-led group opposing legal digital wagering was already voicing its opposition while promising to push forward with a retail-only, tribal-only initiative that qualified for the ballot in 2021.

“The corporate online gambling proposition would legalize online and mobile sports gambling — turning virtually every cellphone, laptop, tablet, and gaming console into a gambling device, increasing the risks of underage and problem gambling,” Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation Tribal Chairman Cody Martinez said via press release. “We will run a vigorous campaign against this measure and are confident the voters will see through the deceptive promises being made by these out-of-state gambling corporations.”

Operators promise homelessness funding

A coalition of California tribes in 2021 became the first to qualify a sports betting initiative for the ballot. The proposal — one of four that surfaced over the last several years — would allow for in-person sports betting at tribal casinos and four horse racetracks across the state.

The newer initiative to get approval is backed by seven companies, including BetMGM, DraftKings, and FanDuel, nationally considered the biggest digital wagering operators in the U.S.

The proposal would allow for statewide mobile wagering with platforms tied to tribal casinos. The operators have spent about $25 million of the $100 million they staked their political committee with and have promised to double their contributions, if needed, to win referendum passage. The tribal proposal does not address mobile wagering, and the operators’ proposal does not address retail betting, and voters could approve both. In California, a simple majority is needed for most initiatives to pass.

By Jill R. Dorson