Tribes Want Retail California Sports Betting to Launch in 2026

Could legal California sports betting launch during the 2026 calendar year? Tribes in the state apparently hope so.

Adam Hensley of PlayCA recently reported that “tribes want to launch retail sports betting in 2026, according to comments made by California tribal leaders.” However, Hensley also reports that tribes would want sports betting in California to be run entirely on “Native American terms.”

What does this mean? And what is the likelihood it’s achieved? What are some of the roadblocks that could forestall another California sports betting push? And finally, what does this mean for online sports betting in The Golden State?  

Here’s What the Tribal Push to Legalize California Sports Betting in 2026 Looks Like

Hensley reported further on what this next attempt to legalize California sports betting will look like;

Previous sports betting legalization attempts that excluded the state’s tribes failed, so a plan that gives them total control over the market seems more likely to succeed. 

“This won’t be an overnight process by any means. As Steve Ruddock reported in his Straight to the Point newsletter, the earliest California customers could see sports betting would be 2026. And that would be retail sports betting at brick-and-mortar gaming facilities.

“It would be another two years—if all goes according to plan—before California would have legal online sports betting.The California tribes are taking a detailed approach to this, and that’s not a bad idea. States that rushed through their sports betting launch have had to go back and make adjustments. The tribes want to be sure they’re in a good position and also do the job correctly.”

The detailed approach that Hensley references almost assuredly comes back to online sports betting in the United States. Mobile USA betting sites are chomping at the bit to enter The Golden State. And it’s not hard to understand why. With the largest population size by nearly 8 million people, California is considered the most lucrative sports betting market in the USA.

Tribes, of course, are well aware of this. And for their part, they’re trying to limit the amount of infringing competition. 

Why California Tribes Want to Delay the Legalization of Online Sports Betting

Sports betting sites like FanDuel and DraftKings are ubiquitous in the industry. It would be a stretch to say they have a monopoly, but in many markets, they’re pretty darn close. That’s tough competition for tribal operators with largely brick-and-mortar experience. Allowing veteran conglomerates to offer California sports betting would significantly infringe upon the tribal business model. And that remains true even if partnerships between California online sportsbooks and California casinos are required.

On top of that, this isn’t just about a couple of online sportsbooks in the USA. It’s about legal online sports betting in general.

Right now, certain markets see more than 90 percent of their legal sports bets processed through a mobile betting site. That’s not just a majority of transactions. It’s monopoly territory.

This is why you’ve seen certain states legalize on-site sports betting only or prohibit legal USA mobile betting sites from entering their market. Take sports betting in Florida as an example. The Seminole tribe can offer Florida online sports betting and in-person wagering, but they’re the only licensed entity. This exclusivity ensures tribal revenue won’t be diluted, and that any sports betting revenue that doesn’t go directly to the state has the chance to be reinvested in Florida itself. 

The case of California sports betting is even more complex. Whereas The Sunshine State doesn’t have a bunch of different tribes vying for market shares, The Golden State has over 100 potential tribal operators. That increases the importance of delaying California online sports betting legalization for as long as possible from the tribal perspective. 

Will California Tribes Prevail?

Anyone who has followed the California sports betting discussion knows legalization is anything but a foregone conclusion. Many thought The Golden State would pass one or both sports betting bills in 2022. Instead, both flopped. It raises the question: What’s different this time around?

The answer: Knowledge of tribal leverage.

Online sportsbooks in the USA now understand that tribes have incredible sway over California legislation. While both online betting sites and the tribes saw their measures fail in 2022, the latter garnered plenty of support from state officials and the key messaging that comes with it. This makes sense. When you have over 100 tribes recognized in the region, their claim to the state’s current gaming compact matters. Ergo, California sports betting won’t be legalized with tribal collaboration.

Whether online sportsbooks push back against a retail-only model for two years remains to be seen. The plan mapped out by PlayCA means California online sports betting wouldn’t launch until 2028 or 2029. That could be a no-go.

On the flip side, online operators may not have much of a choice. If they don’t play ball with this blueprint, their chance to launch may be delayed even further. Because, again, that’s how much influence California tribes have over gaming policy.

To that end, we’ve already heard different messaging from major USA online sportsbooks this time around. At one point, FanDuel CEO Amy Howe emphasized the importance of collaboration and recognizing tribal influence. This suggests the company, as well as others, are prepared to support the tribes’ current stance. And while that may not mean the legalization of California online sports betting is imminent, it does seem to represent the overall quickest path to mobile sports wagering in The Golden State.

Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can find one that works for all of your sports betting needs: