- The Coalition for Fantasy Sports believes the future of California daily fantasy sports should be left to state voters
- This comes after multiple reports that California Attorney General Rob Bonta will soon declare all daily fantasy sports games in the state illegal
- Daily fantasy sports operators have offered contests in California for years in a gray market with no regulations or taxes
The Coalition for Fantasy Sports – which represents the interests of Betr, PrizePicks, Underdog, Dabble Fantasy, and Splash – is hoping the future of California daily fantasy sports competitions may be determined by state voters, not the Attorney General.
The Coalition for Fantasy Sports today reacted to the report that Attorney General Rob Bonta will soon release his long-awaited opinion on daily fantasy sports contests in the state, likely declaring all forms of DFS illegal in California.
JT Foley, Executive Director of the Coalition for Fantasy Sports, told Saturday Down South that recent polling numbers show a majority of voters support a legalized California DFS market and the coalition hopes to work with the legislature moving forward to “build regulations and potential taxation of DFS in the state of California.”
Coalition Keeping All Options Open
According to polling results released by the Coalition for Fantasy Sports, 75% of overall California voters support allowing fantasy sports to be played in the state. The survey, conducted by Global Strategy Group, was fielded among 1,000 of California’s likely 2026 voters between May 6-11, 2025.
“75% of California voters support fantasy sports — a clear sign of how popular these games are across the state. Millions of Californians actively play fantasy sports, and even among opponents, most agree the decision should be left to voters, not courts or politicians. To take these games away now would be a complete disregard for the will of the people. We urge the Attorney General to listen to the millions of sports fans whose voices deserve to be heard,” Foley told Saturday Down South.
Of the 25% of poll respondents who oppose DFS in the state, 75% of them believe the future legality of the fantasy sports market should be determined by California voters.
When asked if the Coalition for Fantasy Sports was considering the option of a voter referendum in the state to determine DFS legality, Foley said it is no secret that California gaming referendums have had a tough road to approval in the past.
He did say, however, that “this is something we’ve been looking at.”
“We’re keeping any and all options open right now,” Foley said.
Attorney General Likely to Declare DFS Illegal
According to a report from KCRA 3, Attorney General Rob Bonta is expected to release a long-awaited legal opinion on the legality of California daily fantasy sports contests. He is expected to conclude all DFS contests are illegal in the Golden State.
California DFS games have operated in gray market for years, unregulated by the government or paying taxes to the state.
The legality of California DFS has long been in question, with queries dating as far back as 2015. California State Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-10) called for then California Attorney General Kamala Harris to declare DFS operations illegal in the state.
Neither Harris nor Attorney General Xaxier Becerra shared their official legal opinion on the validity of DFS during their terms from 2011 to 2021.
California lawmakers again reached out to the Attorney General to decide on the legality of DFS in late 2023, when Sen. Scott Wilk (R-21) requested Bonta review the operations of DFS companies in California to see if their services are in line with state gambling laws. Nearly two years later, Bonta will release his official opinion, which will likely not be good news for DFS operators.
Robert is an expert on sports betting in the United States, specifically the legalization process and regulation surrounding the industry.
