Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling to allow the presence of gambling to be left to State legislatures, Santa Clarita and the rest of California may be seeing the legalization of sports betting within the next couple years.

On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act infringed upon the 10th Amendment, meaning the federal prohibition on sports betting violated states rights, and therefore the decision to outlaw betting will now be left at the discretion of each individual state.

However, officials who have been closely following the possibilities of sports betting in California over the years have said there will likely be a long road ahead before California residents can start placing wagers.

“You may be able to bet on NFL games by week one (this September) in New Jersey, but I think in California it’s going to take some time,” David Clary, author of “Gangsters to Governors: The New Bosses of Gambling in America,” told the San Francisco Chronicle on Tuesday.

For California to enact legal sports betting, there would need to be a state constitutional amendment, which requires approval by two-thirds of the Legislature, and a ballot referendum that passes by a simple majority of voters.

According to number of experts, this could take at least another two to three years to happen, Clary said.

Because the prospect of legal California sports gambling is so far down the road, local officials, such as the Santa Clarita City Council, have not yet made formal plans to address how the city will move forward regarding the issue.

An estimated $150 billion is wagered illegally each year, according to the American Gaming Association. Politicians see taxing legal sports betting as a less painful source of revenue than, say, raising the gas tax, Clary said, noting this could become an issue in this year’s gubernatorial election.

But Councilmember Cameron Smyth said he was not opposed to the idea, whenever it reaches the city level.

“This isn’t something that we’ll address anytime soon, because it’s still up to the people of California and the legislature to take action,” said Smyth. “However, I don’t necessarily have any issue with sports gambling. Like many people, I’ve gone to Vegas and made bets during March Madness.”

A number of state and local politicians will be examining how the state plans to use the tax revenues generated from legal sports gambling, as well as how its legalization would affect the already established legal institutions, such as Indian Casinos.

KHTS contacted the offices of local Legislative representatives Assemblyman Dante Acosta and State Senator Scott Wilk about their views on the issue, and will update this story when either office responds.

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