If legalized, one of the wealthiest states in the US could provide operators like DraftKings and FanDuel a bumper payday. Vehement opposition to online casino gaming has left lawmakers going after the lucrative sports betting market instead. The measure was voted down by a 2-to-1 majority.Ĭalifornia has hundreds of Native American tribes, a coalition of whom has made it hard for lawmakers to get anything into the statute books. However, a November 2022 proposition (Prop 26) would have opened the door for craps and roulette to be offered for the first time. Traditional roulette games and craps have long been outlawed. For now, tribal casino properties are the only place where you can play slots and table card games. However, California, with its long tradition of tribal casinos and poker rooms, has been left in the doldrums. Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, and Connecticut have all taken the leap, even adding legalized sports betting to their statute books. The measures gained little support in public polling throughout the campaign and an October survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found just 21% of likely voters thought the result of Proposition 26 was 'very important,' with less than a third of likely voters saying the same about Proposition 27.Since New Jersey and Delaware launched real-money online casinos back in 2013, all eyes were on which states would go live next. Spending tailed off, and executives of the top sports books signaled that legalization would likely have to wait until 2024.ĭespite the avalanche of spending, voters never seemed all that invested in the fate of sports betting. However, after Labor Day, the campaigns supporting both initiatives largely folded their cards. history, with the various factions supporting and opposing Proposition 26 and Proposition 27 spending roughly $450 million.

The campaign was the most expensive ballot measure fight in U.S. The proposition was opposed by Native American tribes who feared the measure would cut them out of a booming gambling market. Supreme Court overturned a federal ban on sports wagering in 2018. It was put on the ballot by sports betting companies such as DraftKings and FanDuel, which have expanded their business across the state since the U.S. Proposition 27 would have legalized online and mobile sports betting.

California legal online gambling