by
With nothing but terrible sports betting news arriving in California, people are starting to somehow get even angrier with the way things are playing out in the push for legalization. A new bill is already dead, as there were far too many issues with it. With things still not legal, people are still finding ways to get their bets in. With that said, California is bracing for countless illegal Super Bowl bets this week.
Why is there going to be an influx in the numbers? Well, the San Francisco 49ers are the NFC Champions and they’re one win away from bringing home yet another Lombardi Trophy. The 49ers are set to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in this one and the expectation is that it should be a high-scoring affair. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are hoping to pull off an upset, but it’s up in the air if they’ll be able to overcome the stingy SF defense.
With this game being played in Las Vegas too, the expectation is that plenty of people are going to be making their way to Sin City as well from California to watch the big-time contest. As for the people who will stay home to watch the Super Bowl, they’re surely going to get their bets in through off-shore accounts and illegal sports betting rings. This is something officials are trying to crack down on, but there are still a ton of rings that remain in operation.
With so many 49ers fans across California too, it’s only going to lead to more folks checking the NFL betting odds and putting money down on the NFC West side to come away with a thrilling victory. The hope was that by this year sports betting would be legal in California, but too many hiccups continue to get in the way. This is bad news not only for local politicians, but also law enforcement who are sick and tired of seeing millions of dollars in unregulated money being moved.
Ain't come here to talk it out, let's get into it.#DoItForTheBay x #FTTB pic.twitter.com/P6IEYJhunE
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) January 27, 2024
The 49ers are slight favorites over the Chiefs in the Super Bowl
Another reason why a lot of local fans are ready to bet big on this game is that the 49ers are slight favorites over the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. According to the best-rated sportsbooks, which includes the reliable Bovada review, the 49ers hold -110 Super Bowl betting odds to come away with a win, while the Chiefs are set at +125. One major reason why people think KC might be able to come out on top is Patrick Mahomes.
The star quarterback has been playing at an MVP level this postseason and he has recorded some huge wins in the process. In the Divisional Round, the Chiefs were able to stun the Bills in Buffalo. Then in the AFC Championship Game, Mahomes powered the Chiefs over yet another upset win, this time against the Ravens. Now, Mahomes is thrilled to be back in Vegas for this massive showdown.
When I sat down with Patrick Mahomes recently ahead of the Super Bowl, I asked him if he senses that he's become a bit of a villain to other fan bases. His answer, specifically his comparison to the Patriots, was a pretty honest assessment: "I can definitely sense it. I never…
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) February 5, 2024
“You don’t take it (getting to the Super Bowl) for granted,” Mahomes said after taking down the Ravens last weekend. “You never know how many you’re going to get to, or if you’re going to get to any. It truly is special just to do it with these guys after what we’ve been through all season long – guys coming together, it really is special. But I told them the job’s not done. Our job now is to prepare ourselves to play a good football team in the Super Bowl and try to get that ring.”
With Mahomes riding high, there is a great chance that the Chiefs will win their third ring with him leading the offense. However, 49ers fans are feeling quite confident that SF will be able to get the job done and that quarterback Brock Purdy will step up and make some big-time throws. We’ll find out on Sunday night how this one goes down, but a ton of dough is going to be placed on the 49ers leading up to Sunday and during the game, there’s no doubt about that.
What’s next for the California sports betting push?
With all of that said, what’s next for the California sports betting push? We wish we had an answer for you, but we don’t at this time. The latest attempt to get things across the finish line came from out of nowhere, but in disappointing fashion, it was already revealed that the bill won’t make it to the ballot in November. With that, we’re going to have to wait until 2025 to see if something different can happen next fall.
It goes without saying, but the local tribes and politicians need to get on the same page here. There seems to be too much division with the way bills are being written up. Unless both sides are happy with the way things are going to be produced, we don’t anticipate anything moving forward soon. At this point, we can only hope a bill is on the ballot for 2025, but that still feels like a long shot.
