Proponents of Prop 27 to Go in a New Direction
Proponents of Proposition 27 are considering a new strategy to reach voters. They recently revealed that they would try to reach voters via direct pieces and reduce commercial spending. This is coming less than six weeks before the November 8 voting.
The committee, “Californians for Solutions to Homelessness and Mental Health Support”, reportedly canceled its television ad buy in the major markets of the Golden State, according to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle. The group only intends to run on network TV in Los Angeles and cable in markets like Sacramento, Diego, and the Bay Area.
Nathan Click, a spokesperson for “Californians for Solutions,” attests to the move in a comment to the Chronicle. He said, “Clearly, the saturated television market is not benefiting either side, so our campaign is putting those dollars toward additional direct communication with voters in order to pass Prop. 27.”
The new move for Pro 27 proponents is coming less than a week after a poll by the PPIC (Public Policy Institute of California) revealed that 54% of registered voters intend to vote a “No” on Prop 27, which will be on the November 8 ballot. Comparatively, only 34% of people support it. Election Day is very close, so there is less time for supporters of online sports betting to turn things around.
Prop 27 Is in Serious Trouble
The survey result of the PPIC is similar to an internal poll that was carried out for “Californians for Tribal Sovereignty and Safe Gaming.” This group is one of the two tribal-funded groups opposed to the online sports betting measure.
The group released its most recent results in a memo published recently. The results showed that only 24% supported Prop 27, and 58% opposed it. The internal poll was carried out after the PPIC poll, but before publicizing the results.
Voters are not buying into the selling points for Prop 27. The “Californians for Tribal Sovereignty” polling memo mentions that Prop 27 is in deep trouble. Opposition is above 50%, and it is growing daily. Despite the Democratic Party backing Prop 27, voters believe that Prop 27 will bring about negative outcomes. They don’t believe it will provide millions of dollars for social services for communities in California. They also do not believe it will provide economic development programs for tribes that do not participate in gaming.
More Than $412 Million Are Spent Already
Across all groups that have taken a stand in favor of or against at least one of either Prop 27 or Prop 26, over $412 million has been spent during the campaign. This is the most money ever raised in California for a ballot initiative. Records from Cal-Access show that “Californians for Solutions” raised $169.2 million of the $412 million. DraftKings contributed $34.2 million, and FanDuel contributed the most, contributing $35 million.
WynnBET and Bally Bet each contributed $12.5 million. Fanatics, BetMGM, and Barstool Sportsbook each contributed $25 million which is double the sum of what WynnBET and Bally Bet contributed.