In polls commissioned by a coalition of California gaming tribes, a majority of Golden State voters said they oppose mobile sports betting.
The polls, conducted last month online and by phone by FM3 Research and EMC Research, found that 37 percent of voters support “legalizing online and mobile sports wagering via smartphone apps, tablets, and computers,” with 51 percent opposed.
When the poll used the verbiage, “allowing online gaming corporations to offer online and mobile sports wagering via smartphone apps, tablets, and computers,” support dwindled to 29 percent and opposition grew to 60 percent.
Kathy Fairbanks is spokeswoman for the coalition of 18 gaming tribes that have already qualified a measure for the 2022 ballot that does not include mobile bets. She commented, “It becomes clear as we go through the poll that voters are most concerned about the possibility of online sports wagering. What we’ve seen going back a number of months is the online component is a problem with California voters right now. Yes, people are doing more things on their phones, but voters are still concerned about things like underage gambling and problem gambling.”
The tribes have also done some polling, as Fairbanks shared. “Our polling shows consistent opposition to the online operators’ measure, even when trying to sell it as a homeless solution.” A measure supported by sportsbooks would earmark all tax revenues from sports betting for programs for the homeless. California has the largest population of homeless people in the U.S.
Fairbanks added, “Once voters figure out its online sports wagering, they turn against it and nothing brings them back.”
The sports betting operators wrote their initiative so that any online sports betting would be tethered to tribal casinos, obviously hoping to garner some tribal support. At this point, however, 43 tribes oppose the measure.
Supporters of the operators’ initiative haven’t thrown in the towel yet. Spokesman Nathan Click said of the polling, “Our measure has momentum, and the cascade of press releases with incomplete polls and leaked internal memos in opposition to our measure only underscores that reality. Not only does our own polling show our measure has broad public appeal, but our measure has won support from non-profit leaders and mayors because it provides real, tangible solutions for our state’s most vexing challenges.”
