Two California sports-betting propositions on Tuesday ballot seen as longshots

Two sports betting propositions are on the ballot in California on Tuesday, but they have about as much chance of succeeding as a 10-team parlay, according to a recent poll.

Prop 26 would allow in-person sports betting at Del Mar, Golden Gate Fields, Los Alamitos and Santa Anita, as well as at Native American casinos. According to a poll published Friday by the UC-Berkeley Institute of Government Studies, the measure was opposed by voters by a margin of 53 to 30, with 17 percent of voters undecided.

Prop 27 would allow Native American tribes and gambling companies to offer online betting. The prop has been the subject of approximately $500 million in advertising in recent months against the measure, with Native American tribes financing much of the opposition.

The UC Berkeley poll found 64 percent of voters against Prop 27, while 22 percent were in favor and 14 percent undecided.

Prop 26 is considered a way for racetracks to derive more revenue, with some monies devoted to purses. Unlike a majority of states or provinces in North America, California does not have an alternative form of gaming to fund purses, relying solely on pari-mutuel handle.

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