Proponents of a California sports betting initiative proposal filed amendments Monday that removed what several tribes called “problematic provisions” and added language that would increase the amount of money earmarked for a Revenue Sharing Trust Fund for the tribes, require in-person registration for two years, and allow for mobile registration within 10 miles of tribal casinos.
The amendments were posted late Monday, ahead of a 5 p.m. PT deadline.
The initiative proposals from Kasey Thompson’s group would legalize statewide digital wagering using a hub-and-spoke model with the tribes in charge. The details of the proposals specify that any platform in the state would have to carry tribal branding, which in layman’s terms means that wagering operators could be management services providers but could not be front-facing on sports betting apps. In the proposal, Thompson’s group also says it will eliminate all black-market betting companies and, with the help of regulators and lawmakers, will “wash” those companies and ultimately hand them over to the tribes so they can run their own platforms.
The amendments are designed to get the tribes on board.