California Plans to Legalize Sports Betting

California introduce plans to legalize sports betting.

Back in January, we received the news that the state of New Jersey was taking its bid to offer legalized sports betting straight to the Supreme Court.

This decision could have widespread consequences for sports wagering across the United States.

In case the Supreme Court rules in favor of changing the federal law, California will have an answer to it, coming in the form of a constitutional amendment to authorize sports betting in this state.

A Ready-made Solution

The amendment is known as ACA 18, and its introduction was announced last week by Adam C. Gray, Chairman of the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee.

Gray said he was pleased to see the US Supreme Court had to accept the responsibility of bringing legal clarity to this issue.

The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) came into force two and a half decades ago, banning sports wagering in California, but despite legal restrictions at both federal and state level, betting on sports has become more and more popular, especially in the recent years. At this point, the reports estimate that around $400 billion is wagered illegally on a yearly level.

If the US Supreme Court dismiss the current ban, ACA 18 would need a two-thirds approval from the legislators at California State Capitol in Sacramento before the final word is given by voters themselves.

Legalization is a Necessity

Gray said the Californians were already betting on sports illegally, through foreign-based channels that offered no consumer protection. He added it was high time to bring this multi-billion dollar industry out of the shadows.

Gray stated that unregulated online gambling had to be dealt with and replaced with an option offering safety for the consumers, including the measures to protect the players from harm or damage. He emphasized the importance of regulating the market which would tackle the problem of compulsive and underage gambling, money laundering, and fraud.

Gray concluded by saying that all other gaming activities in California were subject to regulations that ensure the safety of consumers and that sports wagering shouldn’t be treated differently.