California, the most populous of the 50 United States, already doesn’t allow sports gambling.
Online daily fantasy games might soon be illegal in the Golden State, too.
California attorney general Rob Bonta is likely to ban fantasy sports gambling, KCRA 3 in Sacramento reported on Wednesday.
Daily fantasy sportsbooks have raked in billions of dollars while functioning legally in California for more than 10 years.
The Coalition for Fantasy Sports decried Bonta’s expected move in a statement to KCRA 3.
The group, featuring Betr, PrizePicks, Underdog Fantasy, Dabble and Splash Sports, stated, “We hope the Attorney General’s office will consider the views of sports fans across the state before making a decision. Californians have been playing daily fantasy sports games for more than a decade, and it is shocking to think that the state would suddenly take them away.”
Earlier this week, the California Nations of Indian Gaming Association and Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nationals wrote to state lawmakers backing the potential ban of daily fantasy sports.
CNIGA chairman James Siva told KCRA 3, “While we have not yet seen the Attorney General’s pending opinion, we are happy to hear that Attorney General Rob Bonta is standing up for the people of California by ensuring that state laws are followed.
“Illegal and unregulated gaming has been a problem in California for decades. These illegal practices deny consumers real protections and safeguards against illicit practices such as fraud and underage gambling. We are glad to see Attorney General Bonta address the issue and look forward to lawbreakers being held to account.”
In November 2022, California voters overwhelmingly voted down two proposals to legalize standard sports gambling in the state, with 66.98 percent and 82.28 percent opposing the two ballot measures. With approximately $460 million spent, at the time they were the most expensive ballot proposition races ever in the United States.
–Field Level Media
