In Las Vegas hotel casinos, betting odds are displayed on the sports book board. Two California ballot initiatives regarding sports betting were opposed Thursday by the California Indian Gaming Association. (Photo: John Locher/AP File)
After two ballot measures to expand sports betting failed last year, two new initiatives were introduced late last month. On Thursday, the California Indian Gaming Association voted unanimously 18-0 against the two initiatives at a meeting.
The new initiative comes a year after California voters chose against expanding commercial gaming and legalizing sports betting in the state. Approximately $600 million was spent between the two failed measures, and neither measure received more than 33% of the vote in the 2022 election.
The new initiative has a novel twist: It would ban sports betting from any operator other than the California Indian Gaming Tribes, effectively putting the tribes in charge of all sports betting in the state. Another initiative would have governors negotiate “gaming agreements” with tribes regarding online and in-person gambling.
Before both of the 2022 proposals, Propositions 26 and 27, were introduced to the public, proponents spoke with tribal groups for logistics and relationship building. Two new initiatives did not do that. The California Indian Gaming Association is not completely opposed to the idea, but it feels as if the new initiative is being rushed and that voters have a big shot in the arm in the 2022 election. After immediately said that he was not ready to vote on this issue.
The association is a nonprofit organization comprised of 52 federally recognized tribal governments and associate members dedicated to the tribal government gaming industry, making CNIGA the largest such organization in California. Bear River Casino Resort and Blue Lake Casino and Hotel are both his CNIGA members.
“Everyone has been insulted. Every tribal leader I’ve talked to says, ‘No, it won’t work.’ But I believe this is the beginning of the discussion for 2026,” Indian Gaming Association Congress President Victor Rocha said during the “New Normal” webinar. “I can’t say if they’re involved, but if they want to spend $500 million for us, things might change. But I don’t see a path towards this. I really can’t see it.”
The two new initiatives were submitted by Kasey Thomspon and signed by Ryan Tyler Walz. Thompson is the co-founder of Pala Interactive, an online gambling website. Rocha addressed the two on Twitter in October.
“This is dead. Casey Thompson and Ryan Tyler Waltz are idiots. You heard it here first.” Rocha tweeted Since the initiative was submitted late last month.
Rocha adds more tweets Speaking about the effort this week, he called the sponsors’ “poker friends” and deemed their efforts “more deadly than yesterday.”
Gaming revenue in California is a multibillion-dollar industry, according to the American Gaming Association. California’s casino gaming industry had total revenue of $8.4 billion in 2016. Huge sums of money have led to frequent attempts to enter this market, but ulterior motives have swayed the presidents of the California Indian Gaming Association.
“It goes back to the story of holding the tribe’s feet to the fire because either you guys are in this or we’re going to do it for you. That’s never going to work for us.” said CNIGA Chairman James Siva.
In addition to the financial burden of funding these efforts, groups will need more than 800,000 signatures by the end of the summer to introduce legislation in the 2024 election.
Along with horse racing, casinos are the only legal way to legally place bets in California. The Humboldt County Fair said the initiative will not affect the fair or horse racing.
CNIGA issued a statement expressing opposition to the bill, which Siva strongly opposes and calls on sponsors to halt the initiative.
“The whole effort around these initiatives has been badly handled by the sponsors of the initiatives,” Siva said. “When you listen to these people, you can’t help but feel bad. This is another example of outside influences trying to divide and conquer Indian tribes.”
Dylan McNeil can be reached at 707-441-0526.