The Major League Baseball (MLB) has released a statement praising the sports integrity provisions in Prop 27. MLB emphasizes its support for the lawmakers’ initiative in making responsible betting a priority when trying to bring online sports betting to California.
Named the ‘Corporate Online Gambling Prop,’ Prop 27 is an online sports gambling proposition funded by out-of-state corporations to legalize online and mobile sports betting in the Golden State.
In its statement, the MLB states it believes that Prop 27 has the ability to provide fans with a suitable and responsible alternative to illegal offshore betting. It details three major reasons that the bill should be passed relating primarily to integrity.
The statement reads: “As legalized sports betting continues to expand across the country, MLB remains committed to protecting the integrity of its games and creating a safe experience for fans who wish to wager on those games.
“Proposition 27 – the only measure on California’s upcoming ballot that would authorize and regulate online sports betting – includes strong integrity provisions designed to help MLB carry out those commitments.”
These provisions include: the requirement for sportsbooks operators to notify leagues of suspicious wagering activities; allowance of leagues to restrict markets that are susceptible to manipulation; cooperation between state, leagues and operators on integrity-related issues.
Prop 27 is a fiercely contested political debate, with commercial operators on one side and tribal operators on the other. The Californian Democratic Party revealed its ballot endorsements for upcoming votes in November and it has declined to support Prop 27.
The Democrats have appeared to align with the tribal operators, remaining neutral on a separate measure, Prop 26, the ‘Tribal Sports Wagering Act’. This bill would legalize sports betting at tribal locations and horseracing tracks in California.
