Committee approves California sports betting bill

The California Senate Committee on Government Organization has approved a constitutional amendment bill to allow sports betting in the state.

In a partisan 9-3 vote, with all Democrats on the committee voting for the bill and all Republicans against, SCA 6 – proposed by committee chair Bill Dodd – was adopted. The bill has now been referred to the Senate Committee on Appropriations, with a hearing scheduled for 9 June.

The bill, for which a companion proposal (ACA 16) has been filed in the Assembly by Assemblyman Adam Gray, sets out plans to allow for a statewide referendum on the sports betting, which would have to be backed by two-thirds of voters before it could come into law.

The proposed amendments allow only tribal casinos and racetracks to operate legal betting, blocking card rooms from the vertical.

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