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At $300 Million, This is Expected to be California’s Most Expensive Ballot Fight Ever. And it Just Got More Intense
In a sign of the bruising, expensive fight to come, two Native American tribes are coming out in support of a newly qualified ballot measure to allow online sports gambling — instead of a separate gaming measure backed by dozens of other tribes.
On Wednesday, two tribes — the Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians and the Big Valley Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians — will announce their support for the online gaming measure that proponents call the Californians for Solutions to Homelessness and Mental Health Support Act.
Backed by commercial operators including FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM, the measure would legalize online sports betting in California, with 85% of the revenue going toward housing for the homeless and mental health services. The rest would go to the Indian tribes that will be partnering with major gaming operators in running the operation.
On Tuesday, Secretary of State Shirley Weber announced that the measure had gathered enough valid petition signatures to be eligible for the ballot in November. A report from the state’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office said new tax revenue from the proposal “could reach the mid-hundreds of millions of dollars annually.”
“We’re supporting the Solutions Act because it gives us an opportunity to protect our sovereignty and also create opportunities for economic wealth for the next seven generations for our tribe,” Jose “Moke” Simon, chair of the Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians, said.
“It also helps the state of California deal with some of the biggest problems that it has here, that is affecting every community, which is homelessness and mental health issues,” said Simon, who stars in a new online ad for the proposal.
It is a sign that what’s expected to be California’s most expensive ballot measure battle ever is heating up. Analysts have predicted that more than $300 million could be spent between the warring parties. That’s far more than the $224 million spent by both sides over 2020’s Proposition 22, which asked voters to decide whether app-based transportation and delivery drivers should be classified as independent contractors.
Both sides believe that the jackpot that awaits is worth it: California’s estimated sports gaming market is estimated to be around $3 billion. At least.
A proposal supporters call the Tribal Sports Wagering Act, which is backed by dozens of Native American tribes, already qualified to go before voters in November. It would allow only in-person sports betting to occur only at tribal casinos and qualified horse racetracks. Proponents say they have secured the endorsement of roughly one-third of California’s 109 Native tribes.
Kathy Fairbanks, a spokesperson for the Tribal Act, said that measure represents a more responsible approach.
“It’s allows sports betting to patrons over 21 and older. You have to be there in person, show your ID, people can look you in the eye and make sure that you match the ID in front of you,” Fairbanks said.
The decision for voters, said industry analyst Brandt Iden, is “retail-only sports betting versus mobile.”
“That’s what this is going to come down to do for consumers,” said Iden, a former Republican Michigan state representative who is now head of government affairs at Sportradar, a sports technology company that provides data and content to the betting industry. “Do I need to walk into a sports book to place a wager, or can I do it from a mobile device anywhere in the state?”
Proponents of the online-only measure touted Wednesday’s endorsement from two smaller tribes as a sign that all of California’s Native tribes aren’t fully on board with the in-person-only measure.
Simon, from the Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians, which operates the Twin Pine Casino and Hotel in Middletown (Lake County), said the online proposal helps smaller tribes that are far from major population centers. If sports betting were confined to only in-person betting at tribal casinos and racetracks, casinos like the one his tribe operates wouldn’t see much uptick in foot traffic.
“We are looking to obviously move into e-commerce, and this gives us an opportunity to do that,” said Simon, who is also a Lake County supervisor.
But Fairbanks, who represents the in-person proposal, discounted the impact of a few tribes supporting the online proposal, noting that more than 60 tribes oppose it.
“The vast, vast majority are opposed to the (online) measure, and we will make sure that voters are aware of that,” Fairbanks said.
Iden, of Sportradar, said it “isn’t surprising” that some smaller tribes are partnering with the commercial operators. He has seen that happen in other states, including Michigan, where he served. The California online gaming proposal requires a commercial operator to be paired with a Native tribe to be able to enter the market.
Iden said that sort of partnership model has been used in other states “where commercial operators enter the market through a tribal brick-and-mortar operation. Traditionally, smaller tribes really benefit from that because of the money that’s involved.”
The larger question will be whether Californians — particularly the younger generation of digital natives who grew up doing many of life’s activities online — will support a measure that would force them to travel to a casino or racetrack to legally bet on a sporting event.
“That is a huge challenge because everything is really online these days,” said Geoff Zochodne, who covers the gaming industry for Covers, an online site. “That’s where the customer is increasingly located for all businesses.”
Fairbanks didn’t dismiss the tribes pursuing online gaming in the future but said that the current online measure isn’t the way to go “at this point in time.”
“Maybe technology will change. But right now, there’s no 100% foolproof way to ensure that kids under 21 aren’t gambling,” she said.
Iden said the real challenge will be for voters, who will see a blizzard of competing ads. Some ads opposing the online-only proposal have been running for weeks online and on TV — even before the measure officially qualified for the ballot.
“The real question becomes how much confusion is created by these two initiatives,” Iden said. “If you’ve got lengthy ballot proposals that you have to sit there and read, you sort of question whether or not people just get confused and they vote no on both.”
New BetMGM Bullpen Jackpot promotion gives bettors a shot at $50,000 in bonus bets if a player hits a home run into the bullpen
BetMGM, a leading sports betting and iGaming operator, will serve as the official bullpen sponsor and backdrop for some of the most electrifying moments of the 2024 MLB playoffs. Through the partnership, BetMGM signage will be visible in every stadium’s bullpen throughout the postseason.
To celebrate, BetMGM is launching the $50,000 Bullpen Jackpot for the MLB playoffs. When a player hits a home run into the bullpen, all BetMGM customers who placed a qualifying wager on that player to hit a home run that day will win a share of $50,000 in bonus bets (contest not available in Nevada or Puerto Rico; bonus bets are non-withdrawable and expire in seven days).
The new promotion provides another tool for fans to engage with the long ball at BetMGM, succeeding the successful Grand Slam Jackpot promotion which paid out $1.85 million in bonus bets during the 2024 regular season. The integration of Angstrom, Entain’s sports modeling and analytics company, allowed BetMGM to vastly increase the breadth of their home run markets this season, resulting in a 256% increase on home run bets year-over-year.
“Sponsoring the bullpen is an incredible opportunity for BetMGM to expand our brand by being front and center during key playoff action,” said Matt Prevost, Chief Revenue Officer of BetMGM. “We already established ourselves as the home of the regular season home run, and the BetMGM Bullpen Jackpot allows us to build upon that momentum by giving customers a stake in every swing throughout the postseason.”
BetMGM will offer more markets than ever before for the 2024 playoffs, including series home runs for players, series home run leader, head-to-head matchups and more.
Gannett Co., Inc. announced a multi-year strategic partnership with BetMGM, a leading sports betting and iGaming operator. As part of the agreement, BetMGM will serve as the preferred online sportsbook and casino partner for USA TODAY Sports providing sports betting odds and betting information across the expansive USA TODAY Network in more than 200 local U.S. markets across 43 states with more than 300 digital news and media brands in the portfolio.
“We are thrilled to announce a re-imagined partnership with BetMGM, a trusted operator in the sports betting landscape. As a best-in-class partner, our goal is to deliver their trusted sports betting information to our audience of more than 44 million sports fans – especially now that football season has kicked off. We believe BetMGM complements our existing portfolio of partners and will enable us to drive further audience growth and engagement. We anticipate this collaboration will immediately lead to an increase in the overall monetization of our content platform,” said Michael Reed, Gannett Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
The agreement incorporates BetMGM sports betting odds into stories and content sharing betting odds, moneylines, spreads and over/unders for games as well as a BetMGM “Bet Now” feature. BetMGM Sportsbook and BetMGM Casino will be listed as a partner on website footers across all USA TODAY Network publications.
“BetMGM is proud to partner with Gannett and the USA TODAY Network. Their unrivaled reach at a local and national level enables us to connect with a massive audience. By integrating odds and insights seamlessly into Gannett’s content, we’re empowering fans to stay informed and engaged with their favorite teams and games. We look forward to a successful partnership that fuels the excitement of sports betting throughout football season and beyond,” said BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt.
Gambling.com Group will serve the USA TODAY Network audience and sports enthusiasts BetMGM sports betting offers and expert insights leveraging their proprietary advertising technology in states where online gambling is regulated.
BetMGM, a leading sports betting and iGaming operator, is premiering a new football season television commercial series featuring Jamie Foxx. Throughout the entertaining campaign, Foxx displays his comedic range with several character impersonations showcasing BetMGM’s brand DNA: born in Las Vegas, rooted in hospitality and entertainment, and focused on treating its customers right. Filmed in Los Angeles and directed by Brian Billow, the new spots will air nationwide in prime time and continue to run on multiple platforms throughout the upcoming season.
“I always love creating fun content with my BetMGM family when football season comes around. We had a blast filming these spots and showing the swagger of BetMGM,” Jamie Foxx said.
The spots highlight the premier experience that BetMGM provides to its customers. The first spot in the series, titled “Anthem”, stars Foxx portraying a variety of characters as they go through mixed emotions on game day. Through fans’ highs and lows, Foxx demonstrates how BetMGM treats customers with hotel suites and other real-world benefits redeemable through the sports betting operator’s rewards program and exclusive connection to MGM Resorts International’s destinations and Marriott Bonvoy.
A second spot features Foxx as a sportscaster explaining BetMGM’s new “Second Chance” promotion which allows anyone who places a straight bet on a player to score the first touchdown of the game to automatically win back their wager in cash if that player scores on the second touchdown of the game. A cast of characters – all played by Foxx – excitedly question the possibilities of the new offer which is exclusively available at BetMGM for the professional football season (Second Chance paid via withdrawable unrestricted funds).
In the series’ third spot, Foxx highlights how BetMGM makes bettors feel welcome with a special offer allowing new BetMGM customers to earn up to $1500 in bonus bets if their first bet loses (offer not available in NV, PR and ON; bonus bets are non-withdrawable and expire in seven days).
“Jamie Foxx is a rare talent who can captivate an audience in any forum. This campaign, in partnership with Highdive, taps into his confidence and range, and will both entertain and inform viewers about BetMGM’s exciting new features for football season,” Matt Prevost, Chief Revenue Officer at BetMGM, said.
“We’re thrilled to unveil our latest campaign with BetMGM featuring the incredibly talented Jamie Foxx. Our aim was to showcase how BetMGM ‘treats you right,’ and Jamie’s performance brilliantly captures the campaign’s core message,” Mark Gross, Co-Founder and Co-Chief Creative Officer of Highdive, said.
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