It will take a constitutional amendment to get California sports betting, and a Senate Committee in the state has now taken a step in that direction. A bill passed the committee by a partisan vote of 9-3 vote, with all Democrats voting for the bill and all Republicans voting against.

Now the bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Appropriations, with a hearing scheduled for next week on 9 June. The bill sets out plans to allow for a statewide referendum on the sports betting, which would have to be backed by two-thirds of voters before it could come into law.

The proposed amendments allow only tribal casinos and racetracks to operate legal betting, blocking card rooms from the vertical.

For more on the newest push to regulate California sports betting visit iGaming North America.