The fate of legal sports betting in California will be determined in less than 100 days. The Golden State, effectively a nation unto itself with nearly 40 million inhabitants, would represent a crown jewel for the national sportsbook operators fighting to enter the market, and Proposition 27, if it passes on Nov. 8, would pave that highway.
With that backdrop, in this bonus episode of the US Bets podcast Gamble On, we bring in The Action Network’s Sam McQuillan, who goes one-on-one with Dan Walters of CalMatters.org for an in-depth discussion of the outlook for sports betting legalization in California.
Walters explains the messaging of Proposition 27 proponents (such as FanDuel and DraftKings) and its opponents (casino-owning Native American tribes); how the messages are resonating (“the pro-27 people are making a better sell than the opposition”); how much the sides are spending on these campaigns (estimated $300 to 400 million) and how “even if they spend that kind of money, it’s chicken feed” compared to the opportunity to run an online sportsbook in California.
1:10: Walters sets the table for the players involved and the measures on the ballot
5:30: Motivations and confusion around ballot initiatives
8:44: Nature of advertising and messaging for California residents
11:40: Other important players and parties for or against the measure(s)
16:43: Dueling ballot measures in potential conflict: What happens if they both pass, which parts survive, and when might legal sports betting begin?
21:10: If the measure doesn’t pass, proponents can try, try again
25:00: Walters ventures a guess about how 27 will play out
