California Sports Betting Poll Has Shocking Results

The latest California sports betting poll results are now official. And as it turns out, they reveal a decided opposition to legalized gambling.

Conducted by a POLITICO-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab, the survey polled more than 1,400 registered voters in The Golden State. Of that crowd, just 25 percent favor having sports betting in California legalized.

This is a stark departure from expectations. Even back in 2022, when the push to legalize California sports betting ultimately failed, well more than 25 percent of the population seemed to be in favor of it. And while both measures on the electoral ballot that year were beaten handedly, they were not shot down with 75 percent opposition.

Now, polls are not necessarily representative of an entire voting population. California has over 23 million registered voters. Surveying 1,400 of them is a fraction of a fraction.

Still, even with a margin for error factored in, these results can only be considered bad news for those who support sports betting legalization in The Golden State.

Concern Over the Legalization of California Sports Betting is Nothing New

While poll returns might be shocking, they do align with what appears to be a growing trend. Additional concern over the ramifications of California sports betting started creeping in during the 2022 campaigns. As prospective online betting apps in California and tribal nations countered and undermined the other side’s messaging, public perception began to turn. As Brian Pempus of GH.org writes, sentiment has clearly yet to shift back:

“The poll found that 35 percent said it ‘might make sense,’ while 40 percent don’t want it legalized. Sports betting is a polarizing political issue because the apps are addictive by design. Betting addiction statistics show that more than 50 percent of online bettors have chased losses. A 2024 University of California study found that legalizing sports betting hurts the financial health of a state’s population. According to the survey, the 40 percent of respondents who opposed legalization selected responses that expressed concern about sports betting addiction.

“In 2022, Californians soundly rejected two ballot questions related to sports betting. Nearly 67 percent of voters rejected California Prop 26, which would have legalized sports betting on American Indian lands. Meanwhile, 82 percent of voters rejected California Prop 27, which would have allowed online sports betting apps like DraftKings and FanDuel. The online sports betting proposition, which sought to undermine California’s tribes who own casinos, raised over $169 million, with top donors including FanDuel and DraftKings.”

These concerns held by the general population are valid. They also apply to every other market in the United States. Policymakers almost always recognize the risks and downsides. The general thought, supporters say, is that regulation makes what is already happening safer.

This same argument has been and will continue to be made for California sports betting. Clearly, though, it faces an uphill battle.

Opposition to Sports Gambling Seems to be on the Rise in California

The bigger takeaway from The Golden State sports betting poll is that opposition/equivocation appears to be on the rise. If previous polls show 67 percent opposition/equivocation, that is 8 percentage points lower than the latest POLITICO survey.

This is truly interesting. After all, by almost any measure, online sports betting in the United States is more popular than ever. Revenue and volume records are broken monthly—and annually. When you look at the amount of money U.S. residents bet each year, this is now a 12-figure industry, with billions of dollars in profits.

In some ways, though, popularity can work against California sports betting. We are now more than seven years removed from the Supreme Court of the United States overturning the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. While this is a pebble in an entire industry’s timeline, it does mean states and organizations have nearly a decade’s worth of data to explore and analyze. With so much information at their disposal, they are able to provide deeper insights into sports betting—the good, the bad, the intended, the unintended, etc.

So where sports betting legalization holdout markets once seemed inevitable, the adverse effects now under the microscope are being burned into memory. The message resonates even harder now that sports betting in general isn’t new. The novelty of it all helped forge a honeymoon phase. As more time passes, though, headlines gravitate toward problem gambling or sports betting scandals and the like.

What Does the Future Hold for Sports Betting in California?

Answering this question seemed easy not too long ago. Sportsbooks and tribal nations appear to have a more amorous, collaborative relationship. This points toward common ground being found during legislative debates.

These latest California sports betting poll results suggest otherwise. Indeed, the relationship between tribal nations and sports seems to have improved. But the push to legalize sports betting will not be as strong if constituents aren’t itching for it.

To that end, it says a great deal that no serious California sports betting legislation has made its way to the House of Representatives or Senate since 2002. For so long, this seemed rooted in the dynamic between tribes and corporate entities. Now, however, we are finding out that a relative dearth of public support could be a factor, too.

We cannot be sure what happens next. But if next year’s legislative meetings pass without so much as a whisper of sports betting legalization, that may say all we need to know.

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