SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Legalized wagering on sports in California has been put on hold for now, California lawmakers decided on Monday.
A bill – Senate Constitution Amendment 6 – was making its way through the legislature that would have let Californians decide on legalized sports betting come the November 2020 General Election.
However, on Monday, the bill was shelved for the time being.
Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa), one of the lawmakers who proposed the bill, cited the ongoing coronavirus pandemic are reason for removing the legislation.
“It remains important that we lift this widespread practice out of the shadows to make it safer and to generate money for the people of California,” Dodd said in a statement.
Opposition from tribal casino operators appears to have also been a factor in Dodd pulling the bill, according to Bloomberg News.
The bill was scheduled to be heard in the Appropriations committee come Tuesday.
Dodd said he will be working to bring back the issue come 2022.