California Voters Could be Asked to Approve Sports Betting

California voters could be asked next year to legalize sports betting in the nation’s most populous state. Two Democratic state lawmakers announced Thursday that they’ve introduced constitutional amendments after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal ban on sports betting last year. That decision allows wagering to be regulated by each state. Eight states now have legal sports betting and more than 35 are considering it. Sen. Bill Dodd and Assemblyman Adam Gray say money from legal betting could be spent on education, infrastructure and deterring problem gambling. They cite estimates that gamblers illegally wager $150 billion a year nationwide. It would take a two-thirds legislative vote to put the measure on the November 2020 ballot. A majority of voters would then have to approve.