In recent months, there's been a growing trend in the state of California that has left plenty of lawmakers and officials quite upset. That news of course is that betting prediction markets are growing in popularity, which has open the door for people to make legal sports bets. How much longer is this going to continue? Well, a California Senator is doing everything he can to ban sports prediction market betting. Is he going to be successful?

That's what a lot of people are wondering, as Adam Schiff introduced legislation in California that would bring an end to prediction markets and sports betting in California. Working in unison with fellow Senator John Curtis, the two indeed are working together to make sure things are brought to a stop sooner rather than later. It's not just sports betting that's an issue, as Californians have also been able to place wagers on casino-style games.

“Sports prediction contracts are sports bets — just with a different name," Schiff released in a statement. "And yet, these contracts have been offered in all fifty states in clear violation of state and federal law. Rather than enforce the law, the CFTC is greenlighting these markets and even promoting their growth. It’s time for Congress to step in and eliminate this backdoor which violates state consumer protections, intrudes upon tribal sovereignty, and offers no public revenue."

This is a problem that has been growing at a federal level, but with Schiff being from California and being a key influence on big-time decisions made in the state, he wants to make sure things are cleaned up there too. Outlets like Kalshi, Robinhood and more continue to be in operation where legal betting is banned. It will be interesting to see what steps are taken next, but it's clear that Schiff and others want change to arrive soon.

California isn't the only state being impacted by the betting markets

As we noted above, California isn't the only state being impacted by the betting markets. Curtis is a Republican senator from Utah, where sports betting is also illegal. There have been recent pushes for things to get over the line in Utah, but just like California, those efforts haven't gone too far. However, plenty of people in Utah are taking advantage of the betting markets, which is also becoming a growing concern. This impacts California betting news as a whole.

“Too many young people in Utah are getting exposed to addictive sports betting and casino-style gaming contracts that belong under state control, not under federal regulators," Curtis said. “Our bipartisan legislation clarifies regulatory jurisdiction, ensuring that states can maintain their authority over sports betting and casino gaming. The Prediction Markets Are Gambling Act is about respecting states’ authority, protecting families, and keeping speculative financial products out of spaces."

It's hard to disagree with what Curtis had to say there. The problem in Utah is mirrored in California, as illegal activity is sky-high, while countless people are relying on apps like Kalshi and others for their betting needs. In the grand scheme of things, it would be much better for California if sports betting was regulated and more concrete rules were put in place. Right now, that's not the case overall.

Sports betting is expected to skyrocket for the NFL Draft

One major problem that's on the docket right now in California is that sports betting is expected to skyrocket for the NFL Draft. Starting on Thursday night, the first round will get here and people are already racing to get their bets in on Fernando Mendoza to be the top pick. Because of that, the NFL sportsbooks across the country are getting a lot of traffic.

For people in California, they're also checking the Super Bowl betting odds, as things are no question going to be impacted due to the way everything plays out in the draft. In California alone, there's going to be a lot of intrigue on the decisions coming up for the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers and more.

With those three California teams in particular, people in the state are going to look at the prediction markets to place sports bets on their favorite teams, while others will look to place wagers in an illegal fashion. This is always the case once the draft gets here and this year unfortunately is going to be no different. With legal sports betting not expected until 2028 at the earliest, this is going to be a consistent problem for the state until something changes.