California AFSCME Union Opposes Prop 26 Tribal Sports Betting Initiative

Yet another major participant in CA political science came out Th with a stance on the Golden State sports betting measures that testament be on the Nov ballot.

The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) District Council 36 announced its opposition to Proposition 26, the proposed constitutional amendment backed past to the highest degree tribal gaming entities that would grant retail sportsbooks at Amerindic casinos and state-licensed racetracks. The Los Angeles-based council represents 60 locals and 20,000 workers for California municipalities, legal aid, and non-profit-making social services organizations.

Its financial statement was released Th afternoon by Taxpayers Against Special Interest Monopolies, a political committee funded past state-licensed cardroom casinos inwards California.

Prop 26, if sanctioned past voters, would ut to a greater extent than simply legalise sports betting. It also would allow tribal casinos to extend dice-based tabulate games and roulette, and it also would grant common soldier entities to register complaints through the Private Attorney General Act (PAGA) against organizations they incriminate of illegal gambling practices.

The endure purvey has led to the AFSCME council’s opposition.

Union Fears ‘Poison Pill’ inward Prop 26

Shavon Moore-Cage, who serves on the district council’s direction chapter, said in a financial statement the PAGA language is a “poison pill” that would ladder cardroom casinos out of business. Several cities across the province rely on cardroom casinos inward their communities for a significant portion of their revenues.

She added she was set sour after the cardroom gambling casino in her biotic community was forced to unopen pile due to when COVID-19 forced stage business closures crossways the state.

When urban center revenue is slashed, public employee jobs same mine are on the line,” Moore-Cage said. “This is not simply some hypothetical statement… i don’t need any to a greater extent of my unification brothers and sisters to sustain that same fate – especially when it tin can follow avoided.”

Besides the district council, three AFSCME locals also joined inwards opposition. Two of those, Local 773 and Local 3624, are located inward cities with cardroom casinos that are funding Taxpayers Against Special Interest Monopolies. The Commerce Casino is inwards Commerce, where Local 773 is based, and Local 3624 is in Hawaiian Gardens, rest home to The Gardens Casino.

Several Cardrooms Fined in Recent Years

In a financial statement to Casino.org, a voice for a pro-Prop 26 commission said cardrooms that abide past province laws experience nothing to fear.

“Prop 26 will non shut cut down a single cardroom gambling casino that’s operating legitimately,” said Kathy Douglas Elton Fairbanks with the Coalition for Safe Responsible Gaming. “The only when cardroom casinos at lay on the line of effectual enforcement are those that repeatedly go against CA gaming laws.”

Fairbanks pointed come out that several of the state-licensed cardrooms feature faced land and federal investigations. Many feature paid six- or seven-figure fines inwards recent years for operating illegally, not following federal anti-money laundering practices, and other violations.

Three years ago, The Gardens Casino paid a $3.1 meg fine after body politic then-Attorney General Saint Francis Xavier Becerra’s office found the cardroom did not write up it was below federal investigating and admitted to violating the Bank Secrecy Act. Last year, Artichoke Joe’s was fined $5.3 million for Bank Secrecy Act violations.

Millions Spent on Calif. Sports Betting Measures

Prop 26 is unity of II sports betting measures that testament follow on the Golden State ballot in November. The other, Proposition 27, would decriminalize online sports betting statewide and is backed by septet subject gaming operators.

Committees for and against the 2 propositions are pouring millions of dollars into campaigns to further their stances on the measures. By the time voters adjudicate inward a little to a greater extent than ternion months, the sports betting initiatives are expected to gaolbreak records for military campaign spending on ballot measures inward the state.

It’s an expensive combat because California, the country’s to the highest degree thickly settled state, is inwards a attitude to emerge as the upper side betting market place inward the US at one time – or if – it legalizes sports betting.

A list of political leaders, moil organizations, and civic and concern groups feature add up out with positions on ane of the bills. Earlier this month, the Golden State Democratic Party proclaimed its opponent to Prop 27 patch remaining neutral on Prop 26.

The AFSCME members conjoin the California Contract Cities Association, which represents more than 70 municipalities inwards the state, inward opposing Prop 26.