SB 451

  • California Senate Bill
  • 2025-2026 Regular Session
  • Introduced in Senate Feb 18, 2025
  • Passed Senate Jun 04, 2025
  • Passed Assembly Sep 12, 2025
  • Became Law Oct 10, 2025

Bill Subjects

Gambling

Abstract

Existing law, the Gambling Control Act, establishes the California Gambling Control Commission, which is responsible for licensing and regulating various gambling activities and establishments. Existing law requires the Department of Justice to investigate any violations of, and to enforce, the act. Existing law also vests the department with the responsibility to investigate violations of prohibitions against specified gambling activities, as enumerated in the Penal Code, including, among others, prohibitions against (1) lotteries, (2) certain games played with cards, dice, or any device, for money, and (3) slot machines. This bill would clarify that the department's authority to investigate suspected criminal violations of the aforementioned prohibited gambling activities enumerated in the Penal Code includes suspected violations that occur outside of a licensed gambling establishment, irrespective of whether the suspected violation involves licensees. The California Constitution generally prohibits lotteries and raffles. The California Constitution, notwithstanding this general prohibition, authorizes the Legislature to authorize private, nonprofit, eligible organizations to conduct raffles as a funding mechanism to provide support for their own or another private, nonprofit, eligible organizations' beneficial and charitable works, provided that at least 90% of the gross receipts from the raffle go directly to beneficial or charitable purposes in California. The California Constitution further authorizes the Legislature, by a 23 vote of each house, to amend the percentage of gross receipts required to be dedicated to beneficial or charitable purposes. Pursuant to this authority, existing statutory law authorizes an eligible organization to conduct a major league sports raffle if, among other requirements, 50% of the gross receipts generated from the sale of raffle tickets are used to benefit or provide support for beneficial or charitable purposes, as defined, the other 50% is paid to the winner, and the winners of the prizes are determined by a manual draw, as specified. Existing law authorizes these raffles only at a home game and prohibits an eligible organization from conducting more than one major league sports raffle per home game. This bill would additionally authorize an eligible organization to conduct a major league sports raffle at a championship game, if held at the designated venue where an affiliated sports team plays their home games. The bill would make other technical and conforming changes. By expanding the scope of provisions that revise the percentage of gross receipts required to go to beneficial or charitable purposes pursuant to the California Constitution, this bill would require a 23 vote of each house.

Bill Sponsors (2)

Votes


Actions


Oct 10, 2025

California State Legislature

Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 584, Statutes of 2025.

California State Legislature

Approved by the Governor.

Sep 23, 2025

California State Legislature

Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.

Sep 13, 2025

Senate

In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

Senate

Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 3034.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

Sep 12, 2025

Assembly

Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

Assembly

Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3431.) Ordered to the Senate.

Assembly

Assembly Rule 63 suspended.

Sep 11, 2025

Assembly

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 20. Noes 0.) (September 11).

Sep 10, 2025

Assembly

Joint Rule 62(a) suspended.

Sep 09, 2025

Assembly

Re-referred to Com. on G.O. pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.2.

  • Referral-Committee
Com. on G.O. pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.2.

Sep 04, 2025

Assembly

Ordered to third reading.

Assembly

Read third time and amended.

Sep 02, 2025

Assembly

Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

Aug 29, 2025

Assembly

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 29).

Jul 09, 2025

Assembly

July 9 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.

Jun 26, 2025

Assembly

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 22. Noes 0.) (June 25). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  • Committee-Passage
  • Committee-Passage-Favorable
  • Referral-Committee
Com. on APPR.

Jun 16, 2025

Assembly

Referred to Com. on G.O.

  • Referral-Committee
Com. on G.O.

Jun 05, 2025

Assembly

In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

Jun 04, 2025

Senate

Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 1522.) Ordered to the Assembly.

Jun 02, 2025

Senate

Ordered to special consent calendar.

May 27, 2025

Senate

Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

May 23, 2025

Senate

Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

Senate

From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 1200.) (May 23).

May 16, 2025

Senate

Set for hearing May 23.

Apr 21, 2025

Senate

April 21 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

Apr 11, 2025

Senate

Set for hearing April 21.

Apr 09, 2025

Senate

Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  • Referral-Committee
Com. on APPR.

Senate

Withdrawn from committee.

Apr 08, 2025

Senate

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0. Page 703.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.

  • Committee-Passage
  • Committee-Passage-Favorable
  • Referral-Committee
Com. on PUB. S.

Mar 27, 2025

Senate

Set for hearing April 8.

Mar 25, 2025

Senate

From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on G.O.

  • Amendment-Passage
  • Committee-Passage
  • Reading-1
  • Reading-2
  • Referral-Committee
Com. on G.O.

Feb 26, 2025

Senate

Referred to Coms. on G.O. and PUB. S.

  • Referral-Committee
Coms. on G.O. and PUB. S.

Feb 19, 2025

Senate

From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 21.

Feb 18, 2025

Senate

Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Bill Text

Bill Text Versions Format
SB451 HTML
02/18/25 - Introduced PDF
03/25/25 - Amended Senate PDF
05/23/25 - Amended Senate PDF
09/04/25 - Amended Assembly PDF
09/17/25 - Enrolled PDF
10/10/25 - Chaptered PDF

Related Documents

Document Format
04/03/25- Senate Governmental Organization PDF
04/18/25- Senate Appropriations PDF
05/23/25- Senate Appropriations PDF
05/27/25- Sen. Floor Analyses PDF
06/24/25- Assembly Governmental Organization PDF
07/07/25- Assembly Appropriations PDF
09/02/25- ASSEMBLY FLOOR ANALYSIS PDF
09/05/25- ASSEMBLY FLOOR ANALYSIS PDF
09/12/25- Sen. Floor Analyses PDF

Sources

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