Martin Green spent five years working at William Hill before becoming a journalist in 2009. He began working as a sports writer and professional sports handicapper in 2014.
Esteban Meza, a longtime Salinas voter, stands in front of a voting booth ready to vote inside St. Mary of the Nativity Catholic ChurchÕs hall during the 2022 California Primary elections in Salinas, Calif., on Tuesday, June 7, 2022.
USA TODAY NETWORK
The newsroom and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.
Californians will be hit with a barrage of ads promoting rival sports betting ballot initiatives in the next few months. The country’s leading sportsbook operators gathered enough signatures to include a question about online sports betting on the ballot.
A coalition of tribes in California succeeded in putting a different question on the same ballot, which would only permit retail wagering at tribal casinos and racetracks.
That coalition says both measures cannot co-exist and plans to take the matter to court if Californians vote “yes” to each of them. It has already started to invest heavily in social media ads that attack the online proposition, leading to accusations of fearmongering.
The online sportsbook operators – including FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Wynn, Penn National, Bally’s and Fanatics – are now bankrolling competing ads, warning viewers not to believe the “false attacks” from the rival, retail-only campaign.
Analysts expect that the warring factions will spend $300 million in drumming up support for their measures and attacking the rival campaigns in the build-up to the vote in November. That would make it the most expensive ballot fight in California’s history.
Jose “Moke” Simon, who chairs the Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians, is the star of the newest campaign ads from the online sportsbooks. He urges Californians to ignore the attacks from the retail-only campaign and says the online proposition will allow every tribe in the state – not just those with casinos close to big cities – to benefit from the industry.
Meanwhile, a third campaign launched by a separate group of tribes is fighting against both of these propositions. It wants sports betting to be legalized via a ballot measure in 2024 instead, and with a different framework. The various contrasting messages will make it difficult for California voters to concentrate on the issue at hand, but you ultimately have four choices:
Option 1: You could vote in favor of online sports betting only. That would result in mobile apps launching across the state. You can then claim large welcome offers thanks to sportsbook promo codes and place bets quickly and conveniently from anywhere in California.
Option 2: Vote for retail-only sports wagering. That would lead to a small industry, with only retail betting permitted at tribal casinos and racetracks.
Option 3: Vote “yes” to both, which would spark a legal challenge from the tribes and potentially lead to a lengthy logjam in the courts.
Option 4: Vote “no” to both if you do not want sports betting in California.
The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, the Rincon Band of Luisueño Indians and the Wilton Rancheria teamed up to form the Californians for Tribal Sovereignty and Safe Gaming Committee earlier this year.
It is designed to promote the retail-only sports betting measure. The committee refers to the online proposition as the “Corporate Online Gambling Proposition.” It claims that 60 tribes are on board with its plans, which would forbid online sports betting in the state.
The rival plan would permit online and mobile sports betting for anyone 21 and older in the Golden State. It is known as the California Solutions to Homelessness and Mental Health Support Act. This plan would funnel 85% of tax revenues to mental health treatment and homelessness programs, while the remaining 15% would go to tribes that do not participate in the gambling industry.
The plan would also require online sportsbooks to partner with tribes if they want to launch in California, meaning the tribes would earn a cut of the revenue.
This has proved attractive to some tribes. The Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians, the Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians and the Santa Rosa Rancheria Tachi Yokut Tribe have all backed the online initiative, which is known as Proposition 27.
Always gamble responsibly. All licensed and legal operators in the United States have resources available to bettors, including educational guides on how to spot problem gaming, links to support services and tools to self-exclude for a set period of time. Support is available at the National Council on Problem Gaming, 1-800-GAMBLER and American Addiction Centers. Be sure to only wager on gambling sites that are licensed and regulated by the gaming regulatory body in your state. That ensures games are fair, bets are honored, customers’ funds are secure and that there are legal protections for the consumer.
Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.
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