- Florida Governor DeSantis Signs Legal Sports Betting Bill For October 15 Debut
- CT Governor Lamont Signs Legal Sports Betting Bill – Debut TBA
- California Sports Betting To Be Placed On November 2022 Ballot
Florida, Connecticut, and California all have legal sports betting on their minds, as these three states have all made significant moves toward the debut of domestic sportsbooks within their borders.
Florida Sports Betting
On Tuesday, FL Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law that will debut legal sports betting in Florida by mid-October of this year. The new law will allow for domestic sportsbooks to be erected inside of Florida’s current Tribal casinos, but there is more debate to be had on the issue of mobile and online sports betting.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida does not hold an enthusiastic stance toward FL sports betting, but the current compact, which still requires federal approval, includes provisions for craps and roulettes to sweeten the deal.
Connecticut Sports Betting
Governor Ned Lamont signed a bill into law yesterday that will usher in online and mobile sportsbooks options throughout the Constitution State.
CT is one of the few states that went so far as to pass laws prohibiting all online gaming, but HB 6541 will eradicate those outdated regulations and open the doors wide open for legal Connecticut sports betting. Bets are expected to be accepted in time for Super Bowl 56 in February of 2022.
The new legislation also allows for online and mobile casino games, but Internet poker has yet to receive approval. This also allows for offshore sportsbook sites to gain a stronger foothold in CT now that the online gaming ban has been lifted.
California Sports Betting
In early 2020, the CA legislature was making swift movies to initiate sports betting and place it on the ballot for voters to decide its fate. At hour zero, CNIGA (California Nations Indian Gaming Association), the state’s regulatory body for Tribal gaming, stepped in with a massive amendment that killed the bill.
The current measure, if passed by voters, would allow for legal sports betting in California, but only at in-person venues located at Tribal casinos and racetracks.
There would be no inclusion of mobile or online sports betting, and although CA is projected to haul in upwards of $1 billion in revenue, the addition of web-based sportsbooks is predicted to increase intake threefold.
With California being the most populated state in the USA, leaving mobile and online sports betting out of the equation will cause a major impact in two different sectors.
As we mentioned before, $2 billion dollars of revenue will be left on the table, and will not be subject to California tax collectors. The second impact involves where those $2 billion dollars will end up.
Sports bettors are savvy and know that there are several options in the USA for placing a wager on their game of choice. This path will lead them to a nearby state that offers online sports betting, or more likely, they’ll opt for an offshore sportsbook that they can access from anywhere in CA with a solid WiFi signal.
A quick review of the sports betting revenue from each state and the evidence is obvious. States that deliver online and mobile sports betting bring in exponentially more revenue.
