Tribes Get Extension on California Sportsbook Signature Process

Despite having the sports betting bill pulled out from legislation, tribes got an extension on the California sportsbook signature process. The tries want sports betting to be included in the November ballot.

A Superior Court judge gave the tribal coalition an extension to collect signatures. Thus, it pushed back the deadline from July 20 to October 12. Also, sportsbook pay per head analysts expect the tribes to obtain the required signatures by then.

25 Native American tribes are part of the Coalition to Authorize Sports Wagering. They blamed the coronavirus pandemic for not meeting the initial deadline. After Governor Gavin Newson ordered residents to stay at home last March, the tribal coalition can’t go out and canvass communities and neighborhoods in person. Thus, the number of signatures dropped.

California Sportsbook Signature Process

Based on political forum reports, the coalition asked for an extension of their signature campaign last June 9. They want to allow sports betting within tribal casinos and racetracks. They need to collect at least 1.1 million signatures to bring the issue into the November ballot. If they didn’t beat the deadline, the next chance would be in the 2022 poll.

Becoming a bookie is the goal for the tribes in California this year. They don’t want to defer the issue to 2022. Thus, they are working to accumulate 1.1 million signatures before the deadline. Legalizing sports betting requires a constitutional change. That’s why there’s a need for a public referendum on the issue.

According to the state’s constitution, 8 percent of the population must agree to a referendum. That means the tribes require 970,000 signatures. They set their target at 1.1 million as a contingency measure. Thus, they will have a buffer for invalidated votes.

The tribes propose a ten percent tax on race track operations. However, they didn’t include sports betting in their proposal. Also, there are no partnerships with leagues.