In efforts to side with the 500 Club Casino, the Clovis City Council openly opposed a proposition coming this November ballot.
Proposition 26, a proposition that looks to “legalize sports betting at American Indian gaming casinos and licensed racetracks in California,” is opposed by the 500 Club Casino in Clovis due to the belief that the proposition will open up the “possibility for lawsuits” against gambling entities like the 500 Club and their open card games.
According to Councilmember Drew Bessinger, Proposition 26 has been discussed at length beforehand.
“This came before the League Cities Public Safety Committee about two months ago and we discussed both Proposition 26 and Proposition 27 and we, I think it was 30-1, voted to oppose supporting Proposition 26, specifically because it created a bureaucracy in the Department of Justice…to do enforcement and oversight, and it created a situation where frivolous lawsuits or frivolous complaints could be lodged against card rooms.”
Bessinger later called it “unfair” that the proposition could possibly create this situation for card rooms such as the 500 Club Casino.
Proposition 27 was not discussed at the Council meeting, whereas Proposition 26 may affect the card rooms at the 500 Club Casino in Clovis, Proposition 27 is meant to legalize mobile sports betting in the State of California. Proposition 27 also aims to dedicate revenue to the California Solutions to Homelessness and Mental Health Support Account and the Tribal Economic Development Account according to Ballotpedia.com.
A representative for the 500 Club recognized as well that the issue was not related to sports betting, but rather a “private Attorney General’s Act, Provision within the initiative that seeks to put card rooms out of business in order to remove competition from Tribal Casinos.” The representative then went on to state that this was more of a “Southern California issue with some of the larger tribes” who are “acting in their best interest.”
“Our regional tribes who operate casinos like Table Mountain, Chuckchansi, and a number of others are not engaged in this particular issue. You can go to the supporters’ website, [and] you’re not gonna find their names.”