California sports betting is currently illegal, but that all might change within the next two years. Political consultant Russell Lowery has just filed a motion to put sports betting to a public vote, requesting that the state’s attorney general allow Californians the ability to decide whether or not they would like this to be a part of their sporting experience.

This initiative would be part of the 2020 ballot, dubbed the Gaming Fairness and Accountability Act. If passed, it would grant gaming firms and sports authorities the right to take bets on different sporting events, with state legislature allowed to make laws and regulations as to how these changes are implemented and any restrictions that may apply within state borders.

Lowery cites the revenue the state could generate through regulations as a major factor in why gambling should be legalized, as well as greater consumer protections that would be available that aren’t possible in the current state of underground betting. He also says that, despite California Assemblyman Adam Gray’s 2017 Constitutional Amendment ACA 18 proposal being more or less the same as his motion, he does not believe it will make much headway prior to the cutoff date.

UPDATE: The move for California sports betting has picked up steam in 2022, with two sports betting initiatives set to be placed on the November ballot. Voters will be able to pick from at least these two (maybe more) options to bring sports wagers to the state.

There does seem to be a ground swell of public support for the activity at this point. If passed, we could easily see some sort of California sports betting in 2023.