State Tribes Oppose California Sports Betting Bills

If California sports betting is going to be legalized in 2024, it will apparently need to be done without any semblance of tribal support.

Though multiple sports gambling initiatives are on the table entering next year’s legislative sessions, the California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA) just formally voted to oppose them. This decision is not unexpected. And it’s also seen as a death knell for these initiatives that would legalize sports betting in California.

Not only that, but the CNIGA’s opposition could frankly hint at a failure to even get a sports betting bill on the 2024 general election ballot. As of now, it’s not yet clear whether the tribes will introduce their own measure. If they don’t, the path to legal sports gambling in California could be paved in more roadblocks than it was two years ago, when state voters staunchly shot down two separate initiatives on the ballot.

What exactly does the CNIGA’s latest decision mean for the future of sports betting in The Golden State? Why do they so roundly oppose the latest initiatives? And why were these proposals even introduced without ensuring tribal endorsement? The fallout from this will be far flung. Let’s dig into it.

Chairman of CNIGA Blasts the Sponsors of the Latest California Sports Betting Bill

As we noted when they were first filed, the newest California sports gambling bills lacked tribal support. But it wasn’t quite clear just how much they opposed them. Many wondered whether there might be a road to collaboration between the sponsors and tribes.

However, as it turns out, there’s no hope of a reconciliation. CNIGA executive members reportedly met with sponsors of the 2024 California sports betting initiatives on Wednesday, November 15. They then promptly voted to oppose the measures on Thursday, November 16. After the fact, Chairman of CNIGA, James Siva, released a powerful statement in opposition of the bills and their backers. Here’s what Mr. Siva said, per Legal Sports Report’s Mike Mazzeo:

“The entire effort surrounding these initiatives was handled abhorrently by the initiative sponsors. It is hard not to be offended when listening to these individuals speak. This is another example of outside influences trying to divide and conquer Indian tribes. We will not let history repeat itself…Now that the sponsors have heard directly from tribes that their efforts are not supported, we call on them to drop the initiatives as they have pledged to do if tribes were to oppose them. Our opposition could not be more clear and is irrevocable.”

This is far from your typical boilerplate statement of opposition. It is pointed and passionate. And for the sponsors of this bill, it could be damning.

Of course, this raises the question: Where did the sponsors go wrong? Is it the initiatives themselves? The way they went about filing them? Mazzeo reached out to Reeve Collins, a high-stakes poker player and crypto enthusiast who is among those peddling the bill. It doesn’t sound like Legal Sports Report heard back, though.

Sports Betting Bill Sponsors Apparently Lied About Communicating with California Tribes Beforehand

While the sponsors of the California sports betting bill may not be talking, members of CNIGA have not hesitated to spill the tea. Siva’s comments were just the tip of the iceberg. Victor Rocha, the conference chairman of the Indian Gaming Association, essentially told Mazzeo that the bill’s sponsors lied.

“They came in and lied through their teeth,” Rocha told LSR. “But their lies shouldn’t come as a surprise. One plays poker, and the other one sells NFTs…They’re a special kind of stupid. They have zero credibility.”

What are the lies to which Rocha is referring? Reeves and associate Kasey Thompson apparently claimed to CNIGA that they spoke to executives with the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians. That, it seems, is not the case. And if they indeed lied, it’s an objectively terrible way to advance the California sports betting agenda.

What Will Happen to the California Sports Betting Bills Now?

Rocha seems to suggest that the sponsors of these sports betting bills promised to pull them without formal tribal support. That may, in fact, be the next step. But it already sounds like they moved forward without ever speaking to tribes. There’s no guarantee they pull their initiatives just because CNIGA is against them.

Whether that’s a smart move remains to be seen. California tribes have exclusive gaming rights in the state. Sports betting laws can be passed without their approval, but it’s a tall order. They carry a bunch of influence.

Members of the California House of Representatives and Senate already sided with tribes in 2022. To be sure, they didn’t outright endorse one initiative over the other. But they did illustrate disdain toward the bill bankrolled by online sportsbooks in the United States.

It’s tough to imagine that this situation would be any different. So even if the newest California sports betting proposals stick on the legislative agenda, we’d be shocked if they pass through both the House and Senate.

All of which puts California sports betting hopes on life support entering 2024. Without any alternatives on the table, it seems unlikely a measure makes it onto next November’s ballot.

Still, there’s time for the tribes to propose another bill of their own. There’s even time for collaboration between congress and the tribes. But that time is running thin. And even if a measure materializes, we’ve seen this movie before. Voters could oppose it all over again in 2024. And so, California sports betting sits exactly where it landed two years ago: in a precarious position, without much clarity or optimism.

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