Despite the fact that California is the most populous state in the United States, with almost 40 million citizens, sports betting has yet to be allowed in the state since PASPA was invalidated two years ago.
On May 14, 2018, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was declared unconstitutional. Therefore, each state in the United States is free to draft and enact its own sports betting legislation and regulations.
Gambling in California is now restricted to tribal casinos, card rooms, the state lottery, charity gaming, pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing, and fantasy sports (including daily fantasy sports). Californian sports bettors are fortunate in that their neighboring states, Nevada and Oregon, also permit legal sports wagering on sporting events.
Even the legalisation of online poker is being met with opposition, as seen by a number of failed proposals and a lack of unanimity among California gaming interests.
Having said that, there are ongoing initiatives in California to regulate sports betting in the state. Native American tribes in California have stated a desire to be the exclusive supplier of sports betting services. The group had accumulated around 1 million signatures in an endeavor to be on the ballot in November 2020 before the COVID-19 outbreak hit the country.
Bill Dodd, a state senator from Connecticut who supports sports betting at both tribal casinos and commercial sportsbooks, has supported legislation to regulate the internet and mobile sports gambling beginning in 2020. However, it was also halted as a result of the coronavirus.
Although there is strong support for regulated sports betting in California, the question of online and mobile gambling remains at the heart of the debate; tribal casinos maintain that internet gambling may serve as a backdoor for underage gamblers to enter the state. However, it is important to note that offshore betting sites are still available. Since they are operating outside the US, they are under a grey area with the legislation and are under no jurisdiction, meaning that they can still be used by Californians, for example. If you wish to start betting, it is ideal to check this Californian online sports betting guide so that you will be informed accordingly beforehand.
What do Californians love to bet on?
The Golden State is home to 19 professional sports teams, which are divided across the MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, and Major League Soccer organisations. The Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Golden State Warriors, Anaheim Ducks, and other teams are among those participating.
Because of the many sports fan clubs located across the state, it is surprising that sports betting has not yet been made legal in the state of California.
In addition to professional and traditional American sports such as football and baseball, any legal sportsbooks that open their doors will allow you to place wagers on a variety of sporting activities such as NASCAR races, mixed martial arts fights, and international sports such as cricket or rugby, among others…
However, because of the rising professionalism of this activity, it is possible that large operators may begin to provide eSports wagers in the near future, although this is still up for debate.
California Sports Betting Revenue
In the current state of affairs, it is impossible to predict with any confidence the amount of money that the California state government would receive if sports wagering were to be legalised as soon as possible.
However, according to one industry analyst, it won’t be long before legal sports gambling becomes a reality in California, and the state is just too valuable a market for the sports betting business to ignore completely.
A gambling specialist and professor emeritus at Whittier College, I. Nelson Rose estimates that the state of California receives $20 billion to $30 billion in wagers per year. “The estimate for California is that the state receives $20 billion to $30 billion in bets per year,” he stated.
We can also make some educated guesses based on the information we have.
California has a population of about 40 million people and is the most populous state in the United States. This state has surpassed both Texas and Florida in terms of population, with 29 million people and 21.5 million people, respectively. If sports betting becomes legal in California, it is improbable that everyone in the state will partake in it; but, a significant fraction of the state’s population is likely to engage.
Then we may take a look at neighboring states like Nevada, which already have legal sports wagering businesses in place. According to the most recent figures from March 2021, Nevada generated over $39 million in income from sports wagering alone. Nevada earned about $62 million in sports betting revenue in November 2020, according to state figures.
These figures may seem to be a drop in the bucket when compared to the long-term revenues that California’s sports wagering sector may generate once everything is up and running, but they are nevertheless significant. There’s little question that California lawmakers are well aware of the potential revenues from this venture, particularly given the state’s famed mismanagement of its budget and the state’s desperate need for fresh revenue streams.
The prospect of more money from sports betting will, ideally, hasten the legalisation of the activity.