But even in these states, getting a referendum on the ballot is easier than passing a fully formed bill. Some states require super-majorities to pass gambling referendums, which is why they are seen as a last resort. Without going into detail on every state and its laws surrounding ballot initiatives, just understand the degree of difficulty varies. Gambling Problem? 1-80 for confidential help (MI), 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA & WV). Rewards issued as non-withdrawable site credit, unless otherwise provided in the applicable Terms. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Politicians can say, “The voters made their voices heard, and now we are providing them with a safe, well-regulated industry with the bonus of new tax revenue flowing into the state’s coffers.” With a clear mandate from voters, the legislature can work on all the details without fear of political blowback. The final step in the process is enabling legislation. All the legislature is doing is placing the issue in front of voters. If lawmakers are nervous about legalizing online casino gambling, they can vote to let residents decide if they want to legalize online poker and casinos. For whatever reason, the argument that it’s already occurring so we need to provide regulatory oversight, consumer protections, and capture the tax revenue going offshore isn’t resonating.īecause online casinos and online poker are more controversial, a referendum asking voters a basic question, “Do you support online gambling,” alleviates the possibility of political fallout from a vote to expand gambling. The reasons used to legalize sports betting and DFS aren’t working for casinos and poker. Why a General Referendum Makes the Most Sense When it comes to trying to legalize online casinos and online poker, the latter is clearly the better option. The Colorado sports betting referendum was a fully formed law with a licensing structure and tax rate, while Louisiana and Maryland’s lawmakers were required to pass enabling legislation after the referendum passed. There are two ways to structure a referendum. Maryland explored a voter referendum to legalize online casino gambling this year, but the measure didn’t pass the legislature. Several other states have introduced legislation to place sports betting before voters, including Georgia, in 2023. California voters rejected a pair of ballot initiatives in 2022. New Jersey, Colorado, Louisiana, Maryland, South Dakota, and Nebraska have passed sports betting referendums. But another reason is that a referendum is a cleaner way to pass a potentially controversial law. One reason is that some states require constitutional amendments to expand gambling. ![]() Voter referendums were deployed in several states to legalize sports betting for various reasons. Instead of trying to jam a square peg into a round hole, there might be an alternative way to legalize these other forms of online gambling in various states: A voter referendum. The legislative path blazed by daily fantasy sports and widened by sports betting has been closed to casinos and poker. Online casino and poker legalization efforts have met with stiff resistance.
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