Center for Gaming Research
UNLV
California Gaming Summary

Background

California has legal betting on the lottery, horse racing, card games, and Class III tribal government casinos.

Tribal Casinos

Currently, 61 tribal governments have signed tribal-state compacts permitting Class III gambling.

The Bureau of Gambling Control (Bureau), California Gambling Control Commission (Commission) and California Tribal Gaming Agencies (TGA) work together to ensure the fair and honest operation of tribal gaming in California in accordance with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The Compacts between California Indian Tribes and the Governor of California established a state certification process whereby all gaming resource suppliers, financial sources and key employees that are issued gaming licenses by the various TGAs in California are required to submit a finding of suitability application to the Commission.

 

Lottery

Development: The Lottery was created by a ballot measure, Proposition 37, which was approved by 58 percent of voters on Nov. 6, 1984. The Lottery Act gave the Lottery a clear mission: to provide supplemental funding for public schools and colleges.

Beneficiaries: The California Lottery provides supplemental funding to California public education on all levels from kindergarten through higher education, plus several specialized schools.

For more information see the Califortina Lottery website.
California Lottery data (fiscal year)

 

Year
Total Revenues
Prize Liabilities
Prize %
Net Revenue
Net %
1998
2,294,423,822
1,182,038,207
51.52%
834,748,454
36.38%
1999
2,498,298,488
1,307,442,871
52.33%
899,349,947
36.00%
2000
2,598,378,990
1,369,435,482
52.70%
948,036,660
36.49%
2001
2,894,841,523
1,503,768,458
51.95%
1,111,635,107
38.40%
2002
2,896,372,533
1,502,966,618
51.89%
1,064,064,146
36.74%
2003
2,781,569,856
1,451,804,079
52.19%
1,019,816,972
36.66%
2004
2,973,975,717
1,566,027,494
52.66%
1,094,256,988
36.79%
2005
3,333,620,669
1,795,254,439
53.85%
1,175,794,256
35.27%
2006
3,584,996,251
1,932,721,443
53.91%
1,287,998,079
35.93%
2007
3,318,346,505
1,765,643,368
53.21%
1,206,147,082
36.35%
2008
3,049,620,915
1,619,473,498
53.10%
1,094,945,310
35.90%
2009
2,954,839,094
1,556,120,634
52.66%
1,048,693,816
35.49%
2010
3,040,959,866
1,611,371,074
52.99%
1,089,747,218
35.84%
2011
3,438,577,998
1,904,787,955
55.39%
1,128,551,245
32.82%
2012
4,484,290,195
2,560,306,589
57.10%
1,300,240,379
29.00%
2013
4,443,389,953
2,652,095,102
59.69%
1,262,058,020
28.40%

Powered by GamblingCompliance.com. For current information, visit GamblingData.com.

Total revenue is total ticket sales plus interest earned on the lottery fund balance and miscellaneous revenue sources . Prize liability is the total amount of prize money paid back to winners. Net Revenue is the total revenue minus vendor and retailer commissions and prize payouts and operating expenses; it is equal to "operating income." Prize and net revenue percentages are taken from the total revenues.
California Gaming Timeline

1933: Pari-mutuel wagering on horseracing legalized

1984: California voters pass a referendum approving a state lottery'

1998: Voters approve Proposition 5, empowering the governor to negotiate tribal compacts for Class III gaming

1999: The California Supreme Court strikes down Proposition 6 as unconstitutional

2000: Voters approve Proposition 1a, a constitutional amendment clarifying the legality of Class III tribal gaming

2010: Legislature limits administrative expenses to 13 percent of sales, while requiring that 87 percent of sales go back to the public in the form of prizes and contributions to education

 

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Last modified Tuesday, 06-Dec-2022 10:30:27 PST