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California is undoubtedly a hotbed when gambling is concerned and for a reason. The state is home to 19 professional franchisees, while colleague sports is a major attention-grabber. Among other things, California has a population of more than 40 million and is one of the most chosen tourist destinations.
It is among the US states that are set out to heavily regulate all forms of gambling, and unfortunately for its residents, the options they are provided with are far and few between. In this article, we will inform you about the sports betting regulations in San Diego and the way they affect bettors.

Is Betting on Sports Legal in San Diego

When betting is concerned, the laws in California are somewhat ambiguous, and because of this, it might be challenging to draw a line between the legal and illegal forms of gambling. This is so because, under the state’s constitution, gambling is actionable.
Still, the confusion stems from the fact that some forms of gambling are exempted from the provisions of the constitution, and these include pari-mutuel horse race betting, tribal casinos, bingo, cards rooms, and the state-run lottery. The Gambling Control Act is the piece of law, which dictates the licensing terms, state card rooms, and determines the relations of tribal casinos and bingo halls with the state.
When it comes to regulations, limitations, and the terms under which brick-and-mortar casinos operate, they are determined by agreements between the tribe, which owns the respective casino, and the state.
When casino gaming in San Diego is concerned, the bodies that are tasked with the oversight of such activities include several tribal authorities, the California Gambling Commission, and the Attorney General Bureau of Gambling Control.
It is important to note that betting on horse races is regulated separately from the above-mentioned forms of gambling, and The California Horse Racing Board is the one to oversee these activities.
Even though the status of offline gambling has remained largely unchanged in California, online gambling is not specifically addressed in the legislation of the state, and, in spite of the fact that there were several attempts to decriminalize interactive casinos and online poker, little progress is made in this direction.
As for the measures that are taken to protect gambling enthusiasts, it should be noted that California and San Diego, in particular, have a self-exclusion scheme, but it does not apply to pari-mutuel betting or trivial casinos. Additionally, the state has not implemented an anti-money laundering program, which is to say that there are no financial or payment services restrictions that have to do with the gambling industry.

Outlook for The Development of The Sports Betting Industry in San Diego

It is interesting to point out that people have voiced their willingness for the expansion of the gambling industry in California multiple times. After voters declared their openness to the legalization of some forms of gambling, the California state lottery saw the light of the day back in 1984, while in the next few years, tribal casinos and card rooms were also made available.
After the number of the US states that decided to permit betting on sports, California also chose to follow suit after the Supreme Court’s decision in Murphy vs NCAA case. This comprehensive study about the US regulations is worth giving a once-over if you want to learn the ins and outs of the legislation there.
Back in 2020, Senator Bill Dodd and Assemblyman Adam Grey made an effort to put the legalization of sports betting on the ballot, but their attempts went without success. The further steps towards the legalization of sports betting were unsuccessful as well as they were thwarted by the operators of the tribal casinos.
In spite of the contention from casino operators, they decided to change course and ultimately put the question of the expansion of the gambling market in the state on the ballot in 2022. The catch is that they call only for the legalization of retail betting, which is offered exclusively on racetracks and at tribal casinos.
Additionally, online sports betting is not included in the initiative, which comes as no surprise. The legalization of betting through the Internet arose severe opposition because, in the view of tribal operators, it will result in a significant reduction of the number of their visitors.
The road to the legalization of sports betting in California, San Diego included, is long and windy and whether it will be pronounced legal soon is yet to be seen.
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