Posts Tagged: gambling

News

Convoluted ‘California Blackjack’ battle may finally go to court

California Blackjack, image by VictorWard

A long-simmering and incredibly convoluted fight over “California Blackjack” may finally be decided in court, thanks to a bill pending in the Legislature. Senate Bill 549 by Sen. Josh Newman, D-Fullerton, would give California’s gaming tribes legal standing to sue California cardrooms over an arcane system they employ to offer Blackjack, which the tribes insist is in violation of state law.

News

That sound you hear — ka-ching! — is California’s November ballot

The Barona Resort and Casino in Lakeside, located on the Barona Indian Reservation in San Diego County.(Photo: Sherry V Smith, via Shutterstock)

With California’s statewide top-of-ticket races stacking up as weak-challenger romps, attention – and spending – turns to seven ballot measures, which taken together may well add up to the costliest state election ever. Experts say this could be the year that election-related spending tops $1 billion – a figure more in line with a presidential campaign.

News

The fight over California sports gambling: Ads, ads and more ads

Photo illustration of gambler using cell phone to place bets. (Image: WPadington, via Shutterstock)

Odds are, in coming months you’ll become keenly aware that sportsbook operators and gaming tribes are waging a high-stakes ballot battle for control of sport gambling in California, and you may well get sick of it. That’s because both sides have $100 million war chests, ready to deliver their messages on every imaginable platform.

News

Hugely expensive ballot fight looms over gambling

Dealing the cards at a casino gaming table. (Photo: Nejron Photo, via Shutterstock)

Californians, given the chance, would wager hundreds of millions of dollars a year on sporting events, say analysts, and that golden potential is luring gaming tribes, card rooms and online sportsbooks to the November ballot.

News

Rival gambling initiatives vie for voters’ attention

The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in South Lake Tahoe. (Photo: EQRoy, via Shutterstock)

Voters are facing the possibility of deciding among three fiercely competing ballot initiatives next year – all of them involving tens of millions of dollars and a revolution in California’s gambling industry. One of the three has already qualified for the November 2022 ballot. The remaining two must still gather signatures.

News

Daily fantasy sports: skill or luck?

An illustration of an online dashboard for a participant in daily fantasy sports, which is growing in popularity.(Illustration: Tim Foster, Capitol Weekly)

Daily fantasy sports: What started as a seasonal pastime in offices around America has morphed into a daily, multibillion-dollar business, fueled by national TV advertising and the internet. Unlike the traditional office pool, DFS offers same-day cash rewards to winners – a big incentive. And, in California as in most states, it’s not gambling.

Opinion

Raffle bill unfairly aids nonprofits linked to pro sports

Fans enter the Staples Center prior to a Clippers game. (Photo: Eric Broder Van Dyke, Shutterstock)

OPINION: A piece of legislation that would blur the line between gambling and giving is sitting on Governor Jerry Brown’s desk. Senate Bill 549 would grant an advantageous exemption from existing raffle laws to an exclusive set of nonprofit organizations affiliated with major league sports teams. The bill would allow only these nonprofits to conduct raffles where half of raffle proceeds are awarded to a winner.

News

California players gathering, again, for internet poker

An online gambler concentrates on his game in Nevada, which recently authorized internet gaming and may license fantasy sports companies.(Photo: Associated Press)

Rival interests are rolling the dice to legalize California’s internet gaming market, the most lucrative in the nation. At stake in the Capitol negotiations is a prize worth hundreds of millions of dollars — and maybe more. It’s not the first time. Efforts to legalize internet poker in California – where the revenue may top $1 billion annually over a decade — have failed repeatedly in the past.

News

Study: Stakes high for internet poker

A computer keyboard flanked by the elements of traditional poker. (Photo: Pedro Sala)

As negotiations intensify over establishing internet poker in California, a study commissioned by several casino-owning tribes says online gaming could result in $845 million in revenue and more than 2,600 new jobs by 2020. The figures stem in part from an analysis of legislation that was considered – and rejected — by lawmakers last year. Similar legislation is the focus of negotiations this year, but so far an agreement has proven elusive.

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