There was a time when Major League Baseball (MLB) weren’t too keen on sports betting being made legal. Those days are behind us now though and they have given their support to the legalisation of online sports betting in the state of California.
The fears in the past were that sports betting would hurt the integrity of baseball. Now they are the first professional sports league who are supporting California’s Proposition 27. This comes ahead of a public vote on The Californian Solutions to Homeless and Mental Health Act in November.
You might wonder just what being able to place bets on everything from baseball to soccer has to do with the homeless and mental health. Well, the answer is that if passed, Proposition 27 would see some of the revenue earned from sports betting to help those areas.
The MLB statement on August 12 did mention the subject of integrity. It said that they are “committed to protecting the integrity of its games.” They also want to see the creation of a “safe experience for fans who wish to wager on those games.” The fact that Proposition 27 includes strong integrity provisions appeals to MLB.
If passed into law, Proposition 27 would see sportsbook operators having to tell leagues if any suspicious betting activity takes place. Sporting leagues would be able to suggest restrictions on any betting markets that seem to be being manipulated.
The Proposition has already received a great deal of support from companies who would be looking to open in the state. That list includes BetMGM, DraftKings and FanDuel.
Not everyone is supporting Proposition 27 as it’s not the only one being voted on in November. Proposition 26 is The California Sports Wagering Regulation and Unlawful Gaming Enforcement Act. A bit of a mouthful but one that is supported by the state’s tribes.
If this is passed then retail wagering would be legal but only at gaming properties that just happen to be run by the tribes. Sports betting would also be possible at the state’s four horse racing tracks but there’d be no online betting.
California will be hoping that sports betting can be legalised. There are millions of dollars that can be earned if that is the case, particularly if online sports betting is allowed. That wouldn’t just be good news for the operators but put a big smile on the face of the taxman too.
The success of online sports betting in New York shows just how important legal sports betting can be. The state sees over $1 billion a month is wagered even when the NFL and NBA seasons aren’t in full flow.
