A new poll indicates that California voters support the expansion of sports betting, which is currently legal in 39 states.
The poll found that 60%of respondents were open to legalizing sports betting after a 2022 ballot attempt failed to produce a legal change.
Key Takeaways
- Both men and women showed majority support for sports betting’s legalization.
- Sportsbooks invested close to half a billion dollars on a failed legalization effort in 2022.
- California has nearly twice the population of the country’s sports betting leader, New York.
California has long been in the hopes and dreams of commercial sportsbooks due to its population density and bevy of sporting attractions – but despite sports betting now being legal in nearly 80% of all states, California has remained on the sidelines.
A Politico-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab survey of more than 1,400 registered voters suggests that may soon change, if the public has its way.
The results showed that 25% of respondents said sports betting should be legal and was “long overdue,” while 35% said that legalization “might make sense,” but further details would be required.
Men showed more overall interest in legalization, with 64% of respondents expressing support or openness to the idea. Fifty-five percent of women agreed with the idea of California sports betting expansion.
Those who did not support legalization primarily said that their hesitation was due to the potential increase in gambling addiction. Twenty-one percent said they were “wary” of legal sports betting, and 19% said that legalization would be a “huge mistake.”
The poll was conducted from July 28 until Aug. 12. Politico said that it carried a 2.6% margin of error.
Past attempts and failures
The 2022 attempt to legalize California sports betting produced $440 million in investment from sports betting companies.
Two bills appeared on the ballot, each with the power to legalize sports betting.
The first, Proposition 26, would have legalized in-person sports betting at tribal casinos and four horse-racing tracks. The second, Proposition 27, would have allowed commercial sportsbooks and Native American tribes to offer online sports betting throughout the state, not just on tribal lands.
“Proposition 27 is bad for California," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said a month before the 2022 ballot, via Politico. “It would hurt California's Indian Tribes, increase the risks of underage gambling, and push billions of dollars out of California and into the pockets of out-of-state corporations. Vote No on 27.”
Only 17.7% of voters ended up voting “Yes” on Proposition 27, despite prior optimism that the change would be legalized. Proposition 26 received 33% “Yes” votes.
California sports betting’s massive potential
The most lucrative sports betting market belongs to New York, which legalized sports betting in 2022.
The state produced more than $2.1 billion in revenue and $1 billion in gaming taxes thanks to its sports betting market in 2024. Notably, New York’s population, 19.9 million, is close to just half of California’s 39.4 million.
FanDuel and DraftKings representatives said at 2024 SBC Summit North America that the future of California sports betting would be controlled by the tribes.
