Assembly Bill 831 (AB 831) banning sweepstakes casinos in California has been approved.

The bill was introduced by Asm. Avelino Valencia and passed the Senate Governmental Organization Committee.

During the Senate Government Organization Committee, tribal leaders declared that “allowing online sweepstakes casinos to continue operating in the state will destabliize the entire legal gaming ecosystem.”

Groups like the California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA) and San Manuel Band of Mission Indians are two that support AB 831, stating that sweepstakes casinos undermine tribal gaming rights.

Other notable groups that are for AB 831 include the Sports Betting Alliance, which represents major regulated operators like FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Fanatics, and bet365.

It’s in the best interest of these operators to go against sweepstakes casinos because their goal is eventually to bring online sports betting and online casinos to California.