New Poll Says 43% of Likely California Voters Support Prop 26

Maybe all hope isn’t lost for Prop 26 and Prop 27 in California. At least, that’s what one new poll is suggesting.

A poll conducted by SurveyUSA for the San Diego Union-Tribune and KGTV had 43% of likely voters say they support Prop 26 and 37% say they support Prop 27. Meanwhile, 32% opposed Prop 26 and 43% opposed Prop 27.

Both measures would need more than 50% of the vote to pass.

These survey findings show an increase in support for both California sports betting ballot measures. A poll conducted by the University of California at Berkeley in late September found 53% of likely California voter respondents opposed Prop 27, which would legalize online sports betting, and 42% opposed Prop 26, which would legalize in-person sports betting at Indian casinos and four licensed horse racetracks.

In terms of opposition, that’s a 10% improvement for both Prop 26 and Prop 27. The Berkeley poll showed 31% supported Prop 26 and 27% supported Prop 27. So, in terms of support, the SurveyUSA poll signals a 12% improvement for Prop 26 and a 10% improvement for Prop 27.

According to the SurveyUSA poll, 41% of likely California voters think expanding gambling options would be bad for California. And 37% think it would be good for California. Here are more detailed findings:

Prop 26

• 25% undecided
• Men support by a 20% margin, and women are split 50/50
• Voters under 50 heavily support and ages 50-64 slightly support
• Voters 65 and above strongly oppose
• Democrats favor by 20%, independents by 10%, Republicans by 1%

Prop 27

• 20% undecided
• Men support by a 10% margin, and women oppose by 22%
• Voters under 49 strongly support, and voters 50 and above strongly oppose
• Democrats favor by 2%, Republicans oppose by 13%, independents oppose by 18%

IF PROP 27 PASSES … Here Are California Sportsbook Welcome Bonus Offers We May See

Do Prop 26 and Prop 27 Really Stand a Chance?

This week at G2E in Las Vegas, DraftKings CEO Jason Robins and FanDuel CEO Amy Howe said they believe California sports betting won’t be legalized in the November 2022 election.

“More than likely, this will pass in 2024,” Robins said.

The Prop 27 campaign has also scaled back on its TV ad spending significantly in recent weeks. Instead, campaign organizers are focusing more on direct communication, such as online ads and mailers.

Prop 27 spokesperson Nathan Click told California Casinos this month that the shift in strategy doesn’t indicate the campaign is giving up.

“We’re undaunted,” said Click, who added that internal polling shows voters favor Prop 27 more than Prop 26. “We’re hitting the pavement, hitting the doors, hitting people’s mailboxes, mobile devices, and wherever they access the internet. So that should give you a pretty good idea.” 

NOT GIVING UP: Inside the Prop 27 Campaign’s New Strategy to Erase 20% Gap By the Election