California’s GOP Supports the Democratic Party in Opposing Prop 27

The Republican Party in California has shown its support to the Democratic Party in what’s seen as a rare display of bipartisan support in opposing the initiative to legalize sports betting in the state. Prop 27 is supported by numerous big operators such as FanDuel, BetMGM, and DraftKings.

Prop 27 Received Everything but a Warm Welcome 

Sports betting is being accepted across the US and one of the latest states that made progress in this field is Kansas. However, that is not the case in California. 

Prop 27, which is a ballot initiative that supports the legalization of sports betting is opposed by numerous organizations in California. Apart from the Democratic and Republican parties, the initiative is opposed by many tribes from the Golden State. 

Jessica Millan Patterson, the chairwoman of the GOP in California, stated that Prop 27 breaks the promise to the Native American tribes in terms of gaining sovereign rights to “operate gaming in California.” She also added that through this sovereignty, the tribes can improve the lives of their communities.

Some organizations support Prop 27, though. One of these organizations is Major League Baseball (MLB), which praised the potential that comes from the initiative. 

In a statement, MLB noted that as legal sports betting continues to expand across the US, the organization is committed to “protecting the integrity of its games” and thus, providing fans with a safe experience. According to MLB, Prop 27 has the tools that will help provide a safe betting experience. 

The Tribes Oppose Prop 27 but Support Legalized Sports Betting 

The tribes oppose Prop 27 but do not oppose legalizing sports betting in California. On the contrary, they want to legalize sports betting and are supporting Prop 26. According to Prop 26, sports betting and gaming activities such as roulette gaming should be legalized and conducted at tribal casinos. 

Tribal casinos would also make certain payments to the state of California. These payments would support state regulatory costs. Certain bans are also included in Prop 26. These include betting on high school games and betting on college sports. 

Prop 26 allows sports betting to be conducted at the 4 privately-owned racetracks. Bettors need to be older than 21. Racetracks will have to pay a 10% tax on sports bets to the state. The tax money would go to the California Sports Wagering Fund. 

Taxes should be used to support K-12 schools and community colleges each year and regulatory costs. The rest of the funds should be used in three ways. First, 15% will go to gambling addiction and mental health programs. An additional 15% will go to “sports betting and gambling enforcement costs” and the other 70% of the remaining funds will go to the state’s general fund.