A two-line tweet Saturday night touched off a firestorm about legal wagering in California, with questions swirling about whether or not another sports betting initiative is really in the offing.
Sources tell that the most powerful tribes in the state – Graton Rancheria, Pechanga, and San Manuel – are not filing an initiative. All three were key players in 2022, when a group of tribes put forth a retail sports betting initiative but then pivoted to focus on killing a commercial-operator-led initiative that would have allowed for statewide mobile wagering.
Neither initiative passed, and the one led by BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, and PENN Entertainment failed with less than 20% of the vote, making it one of the most soundly defeated initiatives in state history.
Monday morning, Play USA reported that the Pala Band of Mission Indians has plans to file an initiative proposal Monday with the intent of opening up discussion among tribes about whether or not to move forward. Monday is federal holiday, but it appears California government offices will be open.