California Sports Betting on Hold Until 2028
California has massive potential for sports betting. However, legal sportsbook operators have found it out of reach. According to the Tribes, California sports betting will be on hold until 2028.
At this week’s ICE Tribal Partnerships Seminar in Barcelona, Indian gaming officials informed guests that there is a substantial lack of public support for legalizing sports betting in the Golden State.
James Siva of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians claims that the population will not accept sports betting in 2026. Hence, the earliest likely date for someone to become a bookie in California is 2028. Data from surveys conducted by the Tribes during 2018 support Siva’s conclusion that the general population is still skeptical of California’s plans to legalize sports betting.
No Public Support for California Sports Betting
Despite spending an unprecedented $450 million on the campaign, support has decreased rather than gained after the public sports betting referendum in California in 2022.
Neither of the two competing ballot initiatives, which pit California’s Tribes against iGaming behemoths DraftKings and FanDuel—among other interested parties—passed. According to Siva, 2028 may be a year when transformation may be feasible. Then, they will look for ways to easily start a sportsbook.
However, they insisted that this would only be implemented as a “Tribal-led” effort. The Tribes, it would appear, are content to go at their own pace to ensure accuracy.
California is the third-largest state in the United States and has the world’s fifth-largest economy. A formidable force in American gambling, it boasts eighty-seven tribal casino establishments. The Pechanga and San Manuel Tribes run Yaamava Resort & Casino and Pechanga Resort Casino, California’s two biggest gambling operations.
With over five thousand slot machines each, these casinos dwarf even the most opulent Las Vegas or Macau venues.
Tribal Gaming Industry in California
California’s tribal gaming business employs more than 184,701 people and generates more than $34.6 billion in revenue annually. By contrast, in 2023, the total revenue of the commercial gambling business in the United States was $66.65 billion.
The Tribes of California have created a veritable economic behemoth in the form of the casino business. Siva stressed that the Tribes have gone too far to hastily enter the sports betting industry and jeopardize their progress by committing mistakes that might undermine their achievements.
Their present priorities include reaching an agreement among the state’s 109 Tribes about the best way to expand gaming, gauging public opinion, and proceeding cautiously to guarantee the creation of a responsible and sustainable growth model. When the topic of legalized sports betting in California came up for debate, one of the main points was what it ought to entail.
Instead of alternatives like Michigan’s model, which allows commercial and tribal parties to run sports betting, Chacon suggested that Florida’s Hub-and-Spoke model—which encourages Tribal exclusivity—would be a good fit for the state. This is because servers in Florida are located on reservation land, but bets can be placed anywhere in the state.
A common thread throughout the conference was the tribes’ willingness to collaborate with businesses. However, prominent figures in the tribal gaming industry have quickly pointed out that this opportunity has some requirements.
Because gaming is about more than simply making money for the Tribes—it’s about economic and social growth and Tribal sustainability. Therefore, any agreements with commercial companies would be subject to heavy regulation and demand complete disclosure.
You don’t need to wait for the tribes’ approval to become a bookie. You can open a sportsbook with a pay per head. Then, you can start accepting bets for the Super Bowl.
