Here's What California Sports Betting Could Look Like

The timeline for California sports betting legalization remains steeped in confusion. Most assume it will happen. But the when and how of it all remains a mystery.

Then again, if recent comments from tribal leaders in The Golden State are any indication, it may only be the when that is unknown.

Key figureheads who will shape the future of sports betting in California recently descended upon the Tribal Partnerships Seminar in Barcelona. Naturally, the status of The Golden State’s sports gambling pursuits came up during a bunch of different panels and interviews. While many of the expressed sentiments amount to speculation, they are still informed guesstimates. Remember, California sports betting will not be legalized without the consent of tribes, whose gaming compacts currently grant them exclusivity over all gambling services.

Basically, when tribal stakeholders speak, it behooves everyone to listen. And during this latest round of discussion, one thing became clear: California tribes favor a “Hub-and-Spoke” model of sports betting legalization.

What Would the Hub-and-Spoke Model Look Like for California Sports Betting

For anyone who doesn’t know what the hub-and-spoke model is, you are not alone. There is a lot of confusion over what it constitutes. Many believe it’s identical to the sports betting in Florida model. And, well, these people are mostly correct.

John Cunningham of San Jose Inside breaks it all down for us below:

“During the panel, they discussed what form sports betting could eventually take in California if approved. Catalina Chacon pointed to Florida's ‘Hub-and-Spoke’ model as a good fit for California.

The Florida approach keeps tribal control by placing betting servers on reservation land while letting people place bets throughout the state. This differs from systems like Michigan's open market, which allows both tribal and corporate operators to offer sports betting. The Hub-and-Spoke approach would keep tribes in charge of gambling operations while expanding sports betting access across California. This model fits the tribes' desire to control gambling growth while adapting to new technology.”

This sounds like a great idea on its face. And technically speaking, California sports betting may not require a constitutional amendment if the state goes this route. It could be simply a matter of renegotiating gaming compacts with federally recognized tribes.

Indeed, the latter approach is a gray area—especially if online sportsbooks in the United States are getting involved.

Still, Florida sports betting has found a workaround to the mobile element. The Seminole Tribe, which has exclusive control over sports betting in The Sunshine State, argues that their Florida sports betting app is an extension of tribal property, since that is where the servers running it are located. This logic has allowed them to offer mobile sports betting all across Florida without having needed voter approval during a general election.

Why a Hub-and-Spoke Model May Not be a Good Fit for California

While the concept of a Hub-and-Spoke model theoretically offers the best of every world for California sports betting, it is much tougher to implement in reality.

Yes, Florida is doing it. But the state is working exclusively with a single tribal nation. California, on the other hand, has 109 federally recognized tribes inside the state. Not all of them will enter the sports betting mix, but even so, negotiating a deal with terms that satisfies the vast majority of them could prove difficult.

This is why so many believe the constitutional amendment route is the only path worth traveling down. This way, voters can decide what California sports betting should look like.

For argument’s sake, though, let’s say the hub-and-spoke setup is plausible. California’s ability to capitalize on online sports betting in the United States could get incredibly complicated.

What would partnerships with online sportsbooks look like? Does each individual tribe need their own deal? Might that open the door for certain tribes to get left out in the cold, because their California sports betting operations aren’t big enough?

Safeguards must be put in place to allow for a more equitable, albeit still competitive, sports betting market. Maybe we are overestimating the difficulty of getting that done. But it is nevertheless something to think about.

So, a Hub-and-Spoke Model Would Allow for California Online Sports Betting, Right?

Sports betting enthusiasts already know the challenges involved with getting California legislation over the hump. They likely care more about what the hub-and-spoke model means if it’s successful. The primary question: Does it mean California online sports betting would be legal?

In a nutshell, the answer is yes. Now, whether this means you can visit any online sportsbook in the United States to place a bet is a separate matter. In all likelihood, and similar to Florida, there would be a specific tribal-branded sports betting site and app you would use. And for California, specifically, you are likely looking at a handful of different sites, since there are so many tribes inside the state.

That could make wagering somewhat complicated. However, it would also be more accessible. Other tribal-only models require customers to be on tribal property when placing wagers. The hub-and-spoke model basically ensures you can submit wagers from anywhere in the state—so long as you’re on an approved site, likely operated in tandem by a tribe and commercial sportsbook.

Of course, we are getting waaay ahead of the game here. Everything related to California sports betting is in the preliminary stages. Tribes and sportsbooks continue to have their differences, and moreover, we have yet to see a serious piece of legislation make it very far since 2022. Will that change in 2026? Along with what California sports betting will eventually look like, this is the biggest question that still needs an answer.

Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can find one that works for all of your sports betting needs: