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Another year has passed and nothing good has come for California sports betting news. People were hopeful that a last-minute betting bill would get approved in the winter, but the opposite was the case and now folks are going to have to wait until 2025 at the earliest for the laws to change. The frustration continues to grow. Having said all of that, a California politician called for local tribes to lead the sports betting push and we agree with him.
Earlier this month, Democrat James Ramos openly spoke about the sports betting push, saying that it’s time for the local tribes to indeed step up and help get things across the line. In previous years, we’ve seen the tribes try and move forward with a sports betting bill, but most recently, we saw things end in turmoil when they went head-to-head with the major sportsbooks in the USA. Now, though, Ramos wants to see the tribes roll their sleeves up and get back to business.
“Sports betting in California must be approached with the same principles of responsibility, community benefit and respect for the promises made decades ago,” Ramos wrote via a release. “It’s not about legalizing sports betting; it’s about ensuring that any expansion of gaming aligns with the values and commitments that have guided tribal gaming since its inception.”
Down the road, efforts are going to pick up once again for sports betting in California and when that happens, countless Democratic leaders want to see the tribes be heavily involved. It has been made quite clear that any kind of planning without their knowledge or advice isn’t going to work. There’s still plenty of division here, but from our chair, the tribes simply have to be involved in the process moving forward. Not having that be the case would be a major mistake.
Illegal Super Bowl betting was a massive problem in California
As plenty of you probably could have guessed, Illegal Super Bowl betting was a massive problem in California. The San Francisco 49ers went on an unreal run in the postseason, winning the NFC in dramatic fashion. In the Divisional Round, they nearly suffered a loss against the Green Bay Packers, but they were able to take care of business late and get the job done. Then in the NFC Championship Game, another impressive comeback was posted.
The Lions looked ready to pull off a big-time upset, but the 49ers posted a thrilling win. Then, they were set to try and win the Super Bowl, taking on the Kansas City Chiefs with the Lombardi Trophy on the line. In that game, the 49ers had the better Super Bowl betting odds – the pressure was on head coach Kyle Shanahan to lead his team to victory. Early on, things looked great, with SF taking a 10-point lead.
Best fans in the world ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ZfrjaroYFT
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) February 12, 2024
In heartbreaking fashion, the Chiefs won in overtime. Despite that result, millions of dollars in unregulated money were exchanged via illegal wagers. This is something that authorities all over the state were trying to crack down on, but come on, it’s much easier said than done. An unreal amount of bets were posted, which is something that has to be changed in the near future. How can that be fixed?
Easy, with legal sports betting. It’s one thing if betting is recorded, but it’s another when it’s done so in an illegal manner. This should be a motivating factor for lawmakers and officials to try and get things across the line in 2025. First, though, a new bill must be drawn up and then everyone must hope that it makes its way onto the ballot. If it does go on the ballot, the expectation is this time around fans will vote things through.
California is set to miss out on MLB betting opportunities
With the spring almost here, it’s key to remember that California is set to miss out on MLB betting opportunities as well. Entering the season, plenty of squads hold strong World Series betting odds, but a team to watch will no question be the Los Angeles Dodgers. There’s a ton of excitement surrounding this team after they signed star pitcher/slugger Shohei Ohtani to his massive $700 million deal. This really turned a lot of heads.
Shohei Ohtani learning Spanish from Teoscar Hernández is the content you didn't know you needed 😂😂
(via @Dodgers) pic.twitter.com/ts5AxPQa8w
— MLB (@MLB) February 21, 2024
Ohtani is still recovering from offseason elbow surgery, but the plan is for him to make his Spring Training debut next week. As soon as he takes the field for the first time in his Dodgers jersey, countless photos are going to be taken. He’s arguably the most electric player in the bigs and there will be plenty of people focused on his game from start to finish this season.
Having said that, the pressure is on for the Dodgers to try and win the World Series after making such a huge investment in Ohtani. People are going to be checking the MLB betting odds consistently for this team and they’ll surely be expecting them to post some head-turning wins. Only time will tell if LA can live up to the hype, but no one will be able to make legal bets on them in California.
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