CA Dem Party Says No to Mobile Sports Betting, Neutral on Retail, Voters Watch

• CA Democrats Vote to Oppose Prop 27 but Remain Neutral on Prop 26
• Voters will Vote on Both Initiatives in November so Democratic Stance Matters
• The Sovereignty of California’s Native Tribes Could be at Stake Over Sports Betting

The Democratic Party is politically in charge of California with majorities in the state House and Senate and a governor in office, so it becomes a big deal when that group expresses a public opinion the way they just did regarding sports betting in the Golden State.

On Sunday, California’s Democratic Party weighed in on two of the sports betting propositions that are scheduled to be up for vote this November by voting to oppose the online sports betting market that Prop 27 would bring and by voting to stay neutral on Prop 26 backed by tribes.

It was an important stance to take, signaling the Democrats’ support for the native tribes who make their home in California, and Reid Milanovich, tribal chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, told the press:

By opposing Prop 27, California Democrats rejected out-of-state corporations and reaffirmed their commitment to California’s Indian tribes.

Milanovich was not shy about his opposition to mobile gambling in that state, calling out the dangerous wormhole to problem gambling that type of market would encourage, saying:

Prop 27 is not a solution to anything. It would expose children to a massive expansion of gambling and turn every cell phone, gaming console, tablet, and laptop into a gambling device.

All sides of the issue are fighting to weigh in before the decision is made by state voters.

Voters will Vote on Both Initiatives in November so Democratic Stance Matters

Regardless of what the Democrats say, the final choice on how a legal sports betting market would look in that state will be up to the California voters in November when they get to cast a vote either way on Prop 26 and Prop 27, but that does not mean they cannot be influenced.

This Democratic Party vote against Prop 27 and a call to stay neutral on Prop 26 is simply a political move meant to influence potential voters long before it’s time to cast any ballots, a fair and legal tactic that, when used correctly, can massage a populace towards a preferred result.

Of course, that works both ways and so expect the other side to fight back.

The seven major sportsbooks are eyeballing the CA sports betting market as a potential goldmine, so DraftKings, BetMGM, FanDuel, Bally’s Interactive, Fanatics, Penn National Gaming, and WynnBET have now built a $100 million lobbying fund to back Prop 27.

The main issue at stake, however, seems to be centered around tribal sovereignty.

The Sovereignty of California’s Native Tribes Could be at Stake Over Sports Betting

The tribes that are native to California have come to expect a certain level of sovereignty there, and anything that threatens their ability to govern themselves sends up red flags, which is why they oppose Proposition 27 since they feel it gives too much power to outside operators.

California Democratic Party Native American Caucus First Vice Chair Dr. Joely Proudfit summed it up this way:

Proposition 27 threatens decades of progress for California’s Indians, erodes Tribal sovereignty, and threatens the future economic sustainability of California’s indigenous people.

There are already compacts in place between the tribes and the state of California, so either way voters decide, expect a legal battle to ensue soon afterwards, yet another way to stall this potentially lucrative market from finally getting to launch.