MLB also praised the potential for the initiative to bring a safe and responsible online sports betting market to California.
Titled Corporate Online Gambling Prop, or Proposition 27, the online sports gambling proposition is funded by out-of-state corporations to legalise online and mobile sports betting in the state of California.
MLB believes Prop 27 has the potential to provide its fans with a suitable alternative to illegal offshore betting, with the organisation detailing three major reasons why the bill should be put forward.
“As legalised sports betting continues to expand across the country, Major League Baseball remains committed to protecting the integrity of its games and creating a safe experience for fans who wish to wager on those games,” MLB said in a statement.
“Proposition 27 - the only measure on California’s upcoming ballot that would authorise and regulate online sports betting - includes strong integrity provisions designed to help MLB carry out those commitments. The measure would, for example, (1) require sportsbook operators to notify leagues of suspicious wagering activity, (2) allow leagues to propose restrictions on betting markets that are particularly susceptible to manipulation, and (3) facilitate other forms of integrity-related cooperation between the state, leagues, and operators.
“MLB believes that Prop 27 has the safeguards to create a safe and responsible online sports betting market in California - a state with millions of MLB fans looking for alternatives to illegal offshore betting sites.”
Prop 27 is currently a hotly debated topic, with California’s Democratic Party last month revealing its ballot measure endorsements for November, with Prop 27 not on its list.
The party voted in opposition to legalising online sports betting supported by commercial operators, while remaining neutral on a separate measure, Prop 26, the Tribal Sports Wagering Act, which would legalise sports betting at tribal locations and horseracing tracks.
