California Sports Betting Debate Heats Up as Tribes Launch New Attack Ad

• Last Week, a Tribe-Sponsored 30-Second Attack Ad Called Opponents Liars on Prop 27
• It’s a Fight Between Native Tribes and Outside Operators for Control of CA Gambling
• California Voters Will Vote in November on How a Sports Betting Market Will Look

There is a sports betting battle happening in California right now between the native Tribes and the outside operators who both want control of the inevitable market that will begin operating there as soon as voters decide that’s what they want, and now the Tribal side is fighting hard.

In fact, they just launched an attack ad that essentially calls their opponents liars for running ad and marketing that give the impression that Proposition 27, one of the two major sports betting bills on the November ballot, benefits tribes when those spots are paid for by outside operators.

The attack ad starts with a voiceover asking if the viewer has, “Seen this ad?”

There’s a screen shot of a native spokesman in the advertisement they are referring to.

It’s not paid for by California Tribes. It’s paid for by the out-of-state gambling corporations that wrote prop 27. It doesn’t tell you that 90% of the profits will go to out of state corporations and a tiny share goes to the homeless and less goes to Tribes …. Hidden agendas, fine print, loopholes. Vote No on Prop 27 – they didn’t write it for the Tribes.

Tough accusations, but essentially true, a rough choice for California voters.

It’s a Fight Between Native Tribes and Outside Operators for Control of CA Gambling

The battle for the upcoming California legal sports betting market is being fought between the native Tribes who currently operate over sixty casinos in the state and outside operators like DraftKings and FanDuel who want a piece of the potential action there.

Each side backs a legislative dog in the upcoming November fight at the ballots, siding with one of the two sports betting propositions that voters will see.

Prop 26 – backed by a coalition of California tribes, this initiative would permit on-site betting at land-based Indian casinos and horse racing tracks.

Prop 27 – this bill is backed by the outside sportsbook operators mentioned in that attack ad, and if passed it would legalize mobile sports betting via servers located on Indian reservations.

In just a few months, the voters will decide.

California Voters Will Vote in November on How a Sports Betting Market Will Look

On November 8, Californians will get a chance to vote on which of those two sports betting propositions makes better sense to them, so until then they should expect to be bombarded with plenty of messages from both sides including lots of deceitful attempts to sway their votes.

As with any major issue on the ballot, there are complicated reasons to support and object to both sides, so voters there should expect to be inundated with plenty of misinformation and partial truths, but when it comes down to it they must do their own research before they vote.

Sports betting tax revenue can do great things for state residents, as Fresno mayor Jerry Dyer states on the Californians for Solutions website:

Here in Fresno, and in communities across the state who are looking for ways to house their most vulnerable residents, this ongoing revenue stream will help us craft the critical long-term solutions needed to end homelessness.

Keep checking back for all the latest news and updates on this unfolding story.