Chris Boline
Things could be about to change for bettors in California. With complex dynamics between tribal governments, the state, and private betting companies, staying on top of the latest California betting news can seem like a full-time job.
Offshore gambling continue to be available to California bettors, and none of the ballot measures likely to pass will have any effect on this. That is really the bottom line. While we wait to see what happens with the 2022 ballot measure, you can continue to use online gambling sites in California.
Possible Expansion
Currently, 26 states have legalized local sportsbooks. Ever since the Supreme Court PAPSA vs Nevada case, state after state has been jumping on the sports betting and casino bandwagon. With so much potential tax revenue on the line, who can blame them?
The ballot initiative that will be on the voter rolls in 2022 required almost a million signatures. A coalition of eighteen different tribes across the state of California was able to gather them in hopes of expanding their options for making a profit.
Recently the Secretary of State of California announced that enough signatures had been collected to initiate the process for a ballot initiative in 2022. Voters will be deciding whether or not to open up sports betting on California Tribal lands and licensed racetracks. It would also open up dice and roulette games on tribal casinos, something up to this point prohibited.
Right now, the best way to access sports betting or bettors in California is through offshore sportsbooks. These have their servers outside of US territory and are therefore not regulated by the state of California.
How Likely is it to Pass?
We are still more than a year away from November 2022 when voters in California will be able to decide the fate of tribal sports betting. This makes predicting the outcome of the ballot measure a difficult game indeed.
However, with the powerful collective of the eighteen tribes working hard on this, it is likely to pass. Plus, the opposition is likely to be weak, as grassroots opposition to gambling is not very strong. Given how many states have already approved similar measures, it would be strange for the famously open-minded California to reject the measure. Plus, the fact that they were able to gather more than a million valid signatures tells us that there is a decent amount of support for it already.
California Sports Bettors can Use Offshore sportsbooks
We recommend that California bettors use offshore bookies. These are legally available and also offer the best bonuses, given their increased financial freedom.
The tribes technically have their gambling operations as entities outside of California’s sovereign territory. For the same reason, California bettors are allowed to sign up with the offshore sportsbooks that we recommend. It is important that you only use online gambling sites that have been verified.
Not only can you trust these sites, but we have tested them to make sure they are the best in terms of deposit options, bonuses, and more. They will have extensive betting markets for Californi for California-based teams. You will be able to bet on the 49ers, the Los Angeles Clippers, and many more NFL teams odds based in California, no matter the fate of the 2022 ballot measure.
