Section 19 of Article IV of the California Constitution is looking to be amended by Assembly Constitutional Amendment No. 18 which will
authorise the
legislature to allow sports gambling "only if a change in federal law occurs to authorize sports wagering in this state.”
According to federal law,
specifically the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), a governmental entity is prohibited from supervising "betting, gambling, or wagering” based "on competitive games or performances in which amateur or professional athletes participate.”
The proposal to amend this act was introduced by California
assemblyman Adam C. Gray on 20 July who said: "We need to crack down on illegal and unregulated online gaming and replace it with a safe and responsible option which includes safeguards against compulsive and underage gambling, money laundering and fraud.”
America’s Supreme Court will weigh in on the decision next term, which begins at the start of
October, when they will make a decision regarding a case involving a New Jersey law that revokes certain prohibitions on sports gambling, which the Third Circuit claims
infringes PASPA.
"Constitutional Amendment No. 18 would change your current game plans only if the federal laws on gambling also change. Only time will tell whether the Supreme Court’s decision next term will be a game changer for gambling enthusiasts,” wrote Dawn M. Knepper and Hera S. Arsen, lawyers at Ogletree Deakins.
Source: GMB / Betting-business.co
