A coalition of four popular online sportsbooks called the Sports Betting Alliance (SBA), has come out against the most recent sports betting initiative in California by Kasey Thompson and Reeve Collins of Eagle 1 Acquisition Co., which has also drawn the ire of the major gaming tribes in the Golden State.
Knives Out
Nothing brings two disparate parties together like a common enemy.
Whether that is the hidden agenda behind the Sports Betting Alliance’s recent announcement is anyone’s guess. But suffice it to say, they are squarely on the same side as the tribal leaders with whom they have had a costly media war, trying to get mobile sports betting passed in what would be the most lucrative sports betting market in the nation – California.
The statement by the SBA read as follows, “We recently learned that the authors of two sports wagering initiatives in California are trying to find financial support for signature gathering from sports betting operators. In the interest of clarity, and consistent with our previously stated opposition to these measures, we can commit that SBA won’t be funding or otherwise supporting either of these sports wagering initiatives.”
The objects of the SBA’s derision are Kasey Thompson and Reeve Collins of Eagle 1 Acquisition Co. in concert with Ryan Walz. After an unsuccessful previous attempt, they launched their latest gambit in October to bring sports betting to California and insist they have incorporated the tribes’ wish list into this most recent effort.
The group must collect several hundred thousand signatures to get a sports betting referendum on the ballot and they understand the tribes’ support is critical.
Yet, the tribes remain unconvinced and several weeks ago the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Rincon Tribe of Luiseno Indians, and Wilton Rancheria Indians, publicly opposed the latest attempt to bring sports betting to California and issued statements to the California Attorney General’s office repudiating Thompson’s efforts.
Patience is a Virtue
Eagle 1 Acquisition Co. has remained undeterred and believes the tribal leaders will eventually realize their plan is a panacea for their people. Dan Little, chief intergovernmental affairs officer for San Manuel, commented on Thompson’s measure.
“They’ve got a tough roadmap to get on the ballot, so we’ll see,” said Little. “They did utilize some of the language that San Manuel wrote two years ago, but they’ve changed it. And some of the changes have raised some concerns, the elimination of the in-person registration and they’re kind of opening it up to the commercial industry.
“Some of the other changes are not so bad. The increased funding for the RSTF will be helpful. So, we’re just going to continue to monitor it and see where it goes if they’re able to qualify, understanding they’ve got a very short timeframe here.”
Thompson responded to the SBA’s announcement and their public rebuke of his group’s attempt to bring mobile sports betting to California.
“That is natural for them to come out against us as we are the most tribal initiative ever that puts 100% ownership and control in tribal hands. I have not asked any of those companies for a nickel. Not one nickel in a sports betting bill, so you can only imagine how tribal-forward it is. There is no mention of anything inappropriate in the bill, nor anything exclusive to Eagle 1, and to suggest otherwise is preposterous. I think they do not see the majority public tribal support but would get behind a mobile bill like this if they did,” Thompson said in a statement.
Bookmakers Review will continue to monitor this story and update our readers as events unfold.
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