Lawmakers considering sports betting in California are gathering witnesses for their first hearing of this year. Legal Sports Report reports that the legislature there would tentatively like to have those witnesses and other experts in Los Angeles to testify on November 20th. Though sports betting bills have been popping up in California for years, members of the General Assembly have taken nothing more than a cursory look. The state’s complicated gaming landscape and the ongoing feud between the state and tribal gaming make passing related legislation a tall task. The tribes have exclusivity over certain forms of gambling in California,…

A coalition of eighteen state tribes have put forth a proposal for legal California sports betting. Calling it the Sports Wagering Regulation and Unlawful Gambling Enforcement Act, the measure would be put to voters at the November 2020 elections. It also aims to amend the state constitution to legalize betting on sports at some locations, including Tribal casinos and licensed racetracks, and set a 10% gross revenue tax on licensees. Only in-person wagering would be permitted under the Act, and limited to those aged 21 and above. Minors are further protected by advertising controls, such as a prohibition on advertising…

Stop the presses and start making plans! Colorado legalizes sports betting! Voters have narrowly passed the measure that makes Colorado the 19th state to regulate sports betting, with the tax revenues earmarked for water conservation. This allows the parent companies of Colorado’s 33 casinos in Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek to offer onsite and online betting on professional, collegiate, motor and Olympic sports starting in May. The ballot question had little opposition, but the election results were so close that the outcome could only be determined Wednesday as the final votes were tallied. Legal sports wagering has grown…

Residents decide today whether to legalize Colorado sports betting and use the tax revenue to help conserve the state’s most precious resource: water. The proposal has bipartisan support from lawmakers and interest groups and only token opposition, Local 12 reports. Most states have since generated limited tax revenue from gambling on sporting events. Colorado’s proposal would dedicate a similarly limited revenue stream to a state water conservation plan launched under former Governor John Hickenlooper. In an era of climate change and frequent drought, the plan envisions a decades-long effort to meet the needs of the Denver metropolitan area, the state’s…

MGM Resorts plans to announce that they have a buyer for their MGM Grand casino property in Las Vegas. That announcement is expected to come by the end of this year. In a conference call Wednesday, MGM CEO Jim Murren said the company plans to use the proceeds from the MGM Grand sale to reduce debt and invest in new growth opportunities, including a potential $10 billion casino in Japan and sports betting in the U.S. This marks one of the final steps toward the MGM’s goal of becoming an “asset-light” casino operator. The company agreed this month to sell…

When it comes to the debate over Ohio sports betting, two competing bills are awaiting votes in state legislature that may determine how the activity is regulated. While Governor Mike DeWine has expressed his support of legal betting on sports, efforts to make it into law are split over which state agency would be in charge. One bill comes with a 10% tax and would give control to the Ohio Lottery Commission while the Ohio Casino Commission would carry investigative responsibilities. The second bill would grant control to the Ohio Casino Commission. Betting on sporting events has already been legalized…