California sports betting has yet to be legalized, but a plan put together by the state’s Native American tribes sheds some light on a potential timeline for that to happen.
The tribes want to launch retail sports betting in 2026, according to comments made by California tribal leaders. Online sports betting would then follow two years later in 2028. Additionally, California sports betting would be run entirely on Native American terms.
Here’s a closer look at the plan and what it means for California sports bettors looking to get in on the action.
Tribes would control California sports betting
Previous sports betting legalization attempts that excluded the state’s tribes failed, so a plan that gives them total control over the market seems more likely to succeed.
The so-called Tribal Gaming Protection Act, put together by non-Native businessmen Kasey Thompson, Reeve Collins, and Ryan Tyler Walz, fell flat after the tribes vehemently objected to it. “Let this failure also be a warning to others that seek to dubiously enter the California gaming market,” said California Nations Indian Gaming Association Chairman James Siva. “Using tribes for your own gain will get you nowhere.”
That’s not to say the tribes won’t welcome help from outside entities.
In April, Siva spoke at the Indian Gaming Association Conference. At the event, he said, “We’ll partner with companies, we’ll utilize their products, but again, tribes are the operators in California.”
In addition to the tribes, the Sports Betting Alliance publicly denounced the failed attempt by the outside operators. This move, made by DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Fanatics, was viewed as support for the state’s tribes.
“At the end of the day, if wagering is going to be done legally in California, it’s going to be done with and through the 100-plus tribes here … it is critical for us to do this together and not against one another,” said FanDuel CEO Amy Howe.
That’s not a guarantee that entities like FanDuel and DraftKings will gain sports betting access in the Golden State. After all, in 2022, California’s tribes (as well as the state’s other residents) voted against a ballot initiative led by commercial operators to legalize sports betting. But it’s an attempt to mend that relationship in the coming years.
In this plan, California sports betting is still years away
This won’t be an overnight process by any means.
As Steve Ruddock reported in his Straight to the Point newsletter, the earliest California customers could see sports betting would be 2026. And that would be retail sports betting at brick-and-mortar gaming facilities.
It would be another two years — if all goes according to plan — before California would have legal online sports betting.
The California tribes are taking a detailed approach to this, and that’s not a bad idea. States that rushed through their sports betting launch have had to go back and make adjustments. The tribes want to be sure they’re in a good position and also do the job correctly.
But nearly four years between now and the proposed launch of online sports betting is a long time. A lot can happen in that time frame, and the retail-first approach does raise some questions.
Tribal lands could limit market access for California residents
Online sports betting remains the biggest driver in the industry. Retail sports betting has its place, but online wagering dominates.
The tribes want their properties to reap the sports betting rewards first, which is understandable.
But that would mean that sports betting wouldn’t be as easy or accessible for some California residents as others. It’s likely that fewer Californians will wager on sports betting if that market launches retail first, rather than including online wagering from the jump.
It just might not affect as many residents, since they’d have to travel to a facility to place a bet instead of placing one from their phones.
As more discussions occur, we’ll learn more details about how California’s tribes intend to implement their plan.
They’ll be in control, no matter whether names like FanDuel and DraftKings are in the market. The tribes have made that clear, and for the time being, it appears the industry giants are agreeing to keep it that way.
But the approach of launching retail, waiting two years, and then legalizing online sports betting is unique.
This also means that many Californians wouldn’t be able to place their first sports bet for more than three years.
