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The\u00a0firing of Shohei Ohtani\u2019s interpreter<\/a>\u00a0by the Los Angeles Dodgers over allegations of illegal gambling and theft has highlighted an issue many outside of California don\u2019t realize:\u00a0Sports betting<\/a>\u00a0is still against the law in the nation\u2019s most populous state.<\/p>\n Betting on sports has exploded in the United States since the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that\u00a0cleared the way<\/a>\u00a0for states to legalize it. Thirty-eight states now allow betting on sports, and ads promoting bookmakers DraftKings and FanDuel are\u00a0seemingly everywhere<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sportsbooks salivate at the thought of gaining access to California\u2019s 39 million residents, but the industry\u2019s efforts thus far have failed.<\/p>\n Two rival proposals were brought before voters in 2022 and tanked badly. One that was largely backed by gaming companies would have allowed adults to wager on mobile devices and online. The other would have legalized sports gambling at tribal casinos and horse tracks.<\/p>\n The rival campaigns became the most expensive ballot proposition fight in U.S. history, with both sides hoping to break into what was then estimated to be a potential billion dollar market.<\/p>\n Another attempt stalled earlier this year without ever making it to the ballot.<\/p>\n In California, gambling is permitted on horse races, at Indian casinos, in card rooms and on the state lottery.<\/p>\n The politics involved are tricky. Wealthy Native American tribes that operate the state\u2019s largest traditional gambling operations generally view bookmakers and other outside gambling interests as a threat to tribal sovereignty.<\/p>\n It has also been a challenge selling the idea to voters, many of whom are cynical about the industry\u2019s something-for-nothing promises.<\/p>\n In the 2022 election, advertising made sweeping claims about how new gambling revenue could be used, from helping the homeless to providing financial security to poorer tribes that haven\u2019t seen a windfall from casino gambling.<\/p>\n At the time, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst\u2019s Office determined that the two proposals would increase state revenues, though it was unclear by how much.<\/p>\n Ohtani\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0interpreter and close friend,\u00a0Ippei Mizuhara<\/a>, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the\u00a0Los Angeles Times<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0ESPN<\/a>\u00a0that he owed millions of dollars to an illegal bookmaker.<\/p>\n Mizuhara has not been charged with any crimes and it\u2019s unclear if his alleged relationship with the bookmaker broke California law.<\/p>\n In an interview Tuesday with ESPN, Mizuhara said he gambled on international soccer, the NBA, the NFL and college football, but that he never bet on baseball, which MLB forbids team employees from doing. He added that Ohtani, the sport\u2019s\u00a0highest-paid player<\/a>, paid his gambling debts at his request.<\/p>\n Mizuhara changed his story a day later, following a statement from Ohtani\u2019s lawyers saying the player was a victim of theft.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nSubscribe to the new Fortune CEO Weekly Europe newsletter to get corner office insights on the biggest business stories in Europe. Sign up<\/a> for free.<\/div>\n