California Moves to Allow Sports Betting

Only four states are allowed by the federal government to partake in sports gambling but things are about to change soon. California legislators are considering a bill to decriminalize sports gambling in the state. Under the proposed Senate Bill 1390, sports betting would be allowed at licensed gambling establishments, including casinos and horse-racing tracks. The reason is to generate tax revenues.

Ignoring Laws

People across California and other states bet on sporting events despite the fact that it is illegal so legislators are hoping to begin regulating this gambling for the purposes of collecting licensing fees and taxes on winnings. First, a committee researched Nevada's sports gambling totals and estimated them to be somewhere in excess of two and a half billion dollars.

State Revenues

California's budget deficit could really stand to benefit from this revenue or even a fraction of it. The bill's sponsor, Senator Roderick Wright, said of the "illegal" gambling, "We receive absolutely no money from it," and suggested the state could end up with "a great deal of money" as a result of his bill.

Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act

Back in the early 1990s congress made sports gambling illegal for all but Nevada, Delaware, Oregon and Montana. The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which made it illegal for most states to authorize gambling on sporting events, is itself unconstitutional, making it suitable for nullification. The act violates the 9th and 10th Amendments.