This fall, a group led by businessman Kasey Thompson filed a proposed initiative that would legalize statewide mobile sports betting and put the tribes in charge. It’s unlikely that California sports betting was a topic of discussion in either decision, but a newly proposed initiative has brought the subject to the fore again. The Summer Olympics, scheduled for July 14-30, 2028, have been on the books since September 2017. The NFL owners awarded Los Angeles and SoFi Stadium the Super Bowl last week during meetings in Dallas. And I don’t see a legislative solution where everybody is all kumbaya.” “Even if it does get passed on the ’26 ballot, it won’t get implemented in time for the Super Bowl. Unless there is a Festivus miracle and sports betting gets passed in 2024, there is zero chance that sports betting will get passed before 2027,” Las Vegas-based consultant Brendan Bussmann said when asked if wagering would be legal in time for Super Bowl LXI.
But what it likely won’t be showing off is the massive sports betting revenue and handle that stakeholders in the industry are salivating for. For a span of about 18 months in 2027-28, Los Angeles will be the center of the sporting universe, showing the world its state-of-the-art facilities, palm tree-lined beaches, and Southern California sunshine.
