Major League Baseball (MLB), the oldest major professional sports league in the world, has expressed its support of Proposition 27, a measure that may see California launch its own online sports betting market.
California May Soon Launch Its Own Online Sports Wagering Market
Proposition 27 is the result of years of fighting for the legalization of the vertical in the state and will appear on November’s ballot.
The measure is currently one of the hot topics in the Golden State where people remain divided on the matter. The proposition envisions creating a safe and responsible gambling ecosystem that cares for the community and the individual players. Some believe that this is a way to relieve some of the community problems California is currently facing such as unlicensed gambling.
However, others firmly oppose the measure and doubt that commercial operators will be as responsible as they promise to be. In addition, tribal operators believe that the measure would hurt their interests and have spent millions in lobbying against it. Notable commercial operators such as Flutter and Entain, on the other hand, have spent millions on lobbying in support of the legalization of commercial betting.
In the midst of heated discussions for the future of sports betting in California, MLB expressed its support for the measure.
Major League Baseball Announced It Supports the Measure
MLB said it is happy with the ecosystem proposed in Prop 27 and lauded it for its safe and responsible approach. In addition, MLB believes that a legal online sports betting market would prevent the black market from draining money out of the state.
As legalized sports betting continues to expand across the country, Major League Baseball remains committed to protecting the integrity of its games and creating a safe experience for fans who wish to wager on those games.
MLB statement
MLB listed three major reasons for supporting the measure. First of all, the MLB said that the rules envisioned by Prop 27 would require sportsbook operators to report any suspicious wagering activity they stumble upon. Second, the measure would permit leagues to propose restrictions on certain betting markets, especially those that are susceptible to manipulation. Lastly, the measure would facilitate all forms of cooperation between sports leagues, operators and the state.
MLB concluded that it believes the measure has everything in place to ensure a safe and responsible online sports betting market in the Golden State.
Prop 27 will face off against Prop 26 which envisions the legalization of sports betting exclusively at tribally-owned casinos.