DraftKings, FanDuel CEOs Doubt Prop 26 or Prop 27 Will Pass in California

The CEOs of DraftKings and FanDuel don’t believe California sports betting will be legalized in the November 2022 election.

They said so Tuesday at the Global Gaming Expo, or G2E, in Las Vegas.

“More than likely, this will pass in 2024,” DraftKings CEO Jason Robins said at the event, referring to getting another sports betting initiative on the 2024 ballot.

Amy Howe, FanDuel’s CEO, agreed with Robins.

The general consensus among industry experts is that Prop 26, which would legalize in-person sports betting at California Indian casinos and the state’s four licensed horse racetracks, and Prop 27, which would legalize online sports betting, will both fail to pass in the Nov. 8 election.

Recent polling from the University of California at Berkeley puts that doubt into numbers. Just 31% of likely California voter respondents supported Prop 26, and just 27% supported Prop 27. Earlier in September, the Public Policy Institute of California released polling that had 34% of likely California voter respondents say they supported Prop 27.

(Sorry … but it doesn’t look like California sports betting welcome bonuses will be offered any time soon.)

Polymarket, an online crypto prediction market, has markets on the likelihood of Prop 26 and Prop 27 passing. With market prices translated to percentages, 90% of users believe Prop 27 will fail and 84% believe Prop 26 will fail.

How Much Have FanDuel and DraftKings Invested in Prop 27?

FanDuel and DraftKings have combined to donate nearly $70 million to the Prop 27 campaign. In all, seven sports betting companies have contributed $169.3 million to Prop 27 for what’s looking like a fruitless effort.

Now it appears the sportsbooks are looking ahead to the 2024 ballot for a revitalized effort to get sports betting legalized in California.

The question is, how?

Will there be two (or more) opposing ballot measures like in 2022? That sure didn’t work this time around. Will sportsbooks and tribes compromise and come up with one ballot measure that would very likely pass?

In a September debate, Yes on 26 spokesperson Kathy Fairbanks suggested compromise with sportsbooks could be one of the viable ways to actually get sports betting to launch in California.

However, at G2E, a California tribal leader indicated he wasn’t in favor of compromise.

“We don’t want their help,” said Victor Rocha, editor of Pechanga.net and Conference Chairman of the Indian Gaming Association. “They don’t get it and they’re saying they’re going to be back in 2024.

“They are not going to be our partners anymore. They’re going to become our service providers. We’re going to put them back in that box.”

READ MORE: 28 Lingering Questions on Prop 26 and Prop 27, 28 Days Before the California Election