California Online Betting

If the gambling industry has to settle for state-by-state legalization, California represents the Holy Grail of online betting in the united states. It’s the most populous country in the union with a $2 trillion economy that would rank number 8 on earth if it was its own nation. International gambling sites have gone out of the way to obtain licenses in countries considerably smaller than California.
All eyes are on California as states mull legalizing a variety of types of online gambling. If California does go the way of legalization, it would by default be the standard by which gambling is quantified in the USA. If the state does eventually regulate gaming and it’s successful, other nations will surely follow suit. We might even see something finally happen at the national level.
Different pieces of legislation have been introduced, taken down and reintroduced in the past several years. We do not have anything major to report however, but many observers are cautiously optimistic that California will at some point make a significant movement toward legalization. Here is why:
The state already has a pro-gambling culture The state already has lawful casinos and card rooms
It is home to numerous Indian tribes That Are experienced in gambling California has a spending problem and the potential tax earnings must surely be tempting for state lawmakers
Current List of Betting Sites in California
We are going to discuss the different gaming choices in California in greater detail below, but I’d love to start with a fast list of gambling sites which are available at this time in California. If you’re here looking for a place to gamble online, these are the websites which will let you play and wager real money today.
Sports Gambling:
RankBetting SiteBonusRatingVisit
1
100% up to $50
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Fantasy Sports:
RankBetting SiteBonusRatingVisit
1
Up to 4 Free Entries
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2
Free Contest Entry
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Horse and Greyhound Betting:
RankBetting SiteBonusRatingVisit
1
$20 Free + 100% up to $100
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2
100% up to $100
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3
Wager $500, Get $100
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Online Lottery Tickets:
RankBetting SiteBonusRatingVisit
1
No Bonuses Offered
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Games of Skill:
RankBetting SiteBonusRatingVisit
1
Daily Offers and Specials
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Sports Betting in California
Lawmakers in California have demonstrated some interest in legalizing sports betting of late. A bill introduced at the 2017/18 session proposed amending existing gaming law to allow the California legislature to authorize sports gambling contingent upon the Supreme Court overturning the national sports betting ban (which it did).
ACA 18 itself didn’t seek to legalize wagering; it instead offered a constitutional amendment that would allow lawmakers to legalize and regulate sports gambling in the future. When he introduced the bill, Assemblyman Adam Gray stated,”The decision isn’t’should we have sports wagering or never have sports wagering.’ We do have sports wagering.”
The point he was making is that sports gambling is already a huge black market in California and across the United States. The American Gaming Association quotes Americans wager at least $154 billion per year on sports with internet sportsbooks and local bookies in contrast to regulations. The current condition prohibition is not functioning, the logic goes, so the smart thing to do is legalize it, regulate it and tax it.
A report by Eilers & Krejcik Gaming published in 2017 considers California is likely to legalize sports gambling within five years from the date of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn PASPA. California has lots of potential to turn into a major sports gambling market, but as you’ll see in another segment, competing interests in the state have a tendency to complicate things.
Assemblyman Gray introduced the exact same legislation again in 2018 and 2019 as he continues to push the issue. Getting the tribal groups on board has been exceedingly hard as they control a $8 billion gaming industry and therefore are highly reluctant to get on board with sports betting at risk of starting their lucrative compacts with the state to negotiation once again.
Online Poker in California
The pursuit for internet poker in California is being fought in the courtrooms because you read these words. Bills seeking to regulate internet poker have been introduced annually since 2007. None of these bills have made it all the way through the legislative process due to vying factions on all sides of the issue, but each year brings us closer to finding an arrangement that satisfied all parties that are interested.
In reality, a lot of the difficulty can be attributed to rival interests in the state. It appears everybody has an agenda and it is difficult to find consensus among the Indian tribes, brick-and-mortar operators and present online brands. 1 group or another always feels left out or concentrated from the wording of laws. And to be fair, that is often a valid concern.
To increase the problem, there continue to be strong lobbying groups that actively fight the legalization of poker or any other kind of online gambling in the united states. Casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson has pledged to fight legalization throughout the nation. In California alone, he spent more than $300,000 to lobby against poker.
Not one of those bills introduced over the previous decade-plus has made significant progress due to the various competing interests in the nation. The next bill is just one of many attempts to make something happen in California, but it serves as a Normal example of how complex and difficult It’s to make progress in California:
AB 2291: Promising Start but Died in Committee
Meeting Bill 2291 was first introduced way back in February 2014 but never made it outside the committee period. It was reintroduced in 2015 and 2016, but was unable to gain the traction it had to make it much in the legislative process.
The bill sought to legalize online poker just and issue 10-year licenses to operators. The suggested fee for licensing has been originally set at $5,000,000, with this charge being used to offset future taxes. Lawmakers bumped that charge up several times before the fee hit a high of $12,500,000 without offsetting taxes.
Early variations of AB 2291 included several clauses which have resulted in tension between different factions competing for a piece of the poker pie. Most contentious one among these is a”bad actor” clause. AB 2291 initially sought to require prospective licensees to have at least five decades of gambling experience in California. Additionally, it required every aspect of an operation, from its own workers to its gear to its bank accounts to be kept in condition.
In essence, AB 2291 would have averted all of current internet poker providers and newer neighborhood casinos in California out of competing. The wording of this bill very clearly favored a few established California casino groups at the cost of honest competition.
Another problem with AB 2291 was that it would have prohibited California from entering arrangements with other nations to unite player pools and improve liquidity. In other words, you would only see other Californians in the table however many sates legalize poker. To top it all off, the bill would require the country to opt out of any laws passed at the national level allowing online poker.
Some progress has been made in 2016 with a proposed amendment which would significantly alter the bad actor clause. Previously, the bill would have barred all online poker companies which operated after the passage of the federal Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. Such restrictions would have banned established brand such as PokerStars from entering the marketplace.
The last amendment proposes to rather move the cut-off date to the bad celebrity clause up towards the end of 2011. To put it differently, sites like PokerStars that functioned after the UIGEA but left the market following the Black Friday indictments in 2011. This could stop the most egregious violators from entering the market but manage PokerStars a chance to offer online poker lawfully in California. You may read more about the proposal here.
Looking back in 2018: The Good and Bad
The Bad Lawmakers and tribal groups have been stuck in stalemate for going on four years now. It is nice to see some improvement on this front, but it is also discouraging to find the stubbornness on the part of varying factions. Poker players are better served by an open and competitive marketplace and player-sharing arrangements with other nations.
Worse than all that, online poker seems to have taken a step back in 2018. For the first time in over a decade, no invoices seeking to legalize online poker were introduced. Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sayer advised Online Poker Report that he’s giving up on internet poker laws for this year because there’s just no improvement being made in reaching a compromise between the tribes, local card rooms and other interested parties.
The Good There are some positive things to say about most of this. If poker is really legalized in California, the potential player pool will much larger than that which we have seen in other nations that have legalized online poker. Aside from the fact that 38 million people call California home, the country has a poker civilization already as a result of its numerous brick-and-mortar card rooms.
California is very likely to have fewer issues with geolocation of players because of its sheer size. New Jersey had all sorts of problems verifying players were really located within the nation. This ended up with plenty of potential players being barred from the state-sanctioned sites there. California does not have to contend with congested cities piled up on state borders.
Fantasy Sports
When the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed in 2006, it supplied two noteworthy exceptions to online gambling: horse racing and fantasy sports. The UIGEA didn’t just exempt those forms of gambling; it essentially gave operators the go-ahead to provide their games to clients right here in the united states.
Some countries have since passed legislation banning online fantasy sports but California is not among those. In case you have a thing for sports gambling but prefer to do it in a protected and regulated fashion, fantasy sports is your thing to do. You draft a staff just like in regular dream leagues except now you get paid real money if you win.
FanDuel.com and DraftKings.com are the two largest players in this marketplace. They accept clients from CA and provide single-day fantasy leagues such as the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, college basketball and college football.
One of the nice things about online fantasy sports is each competition only lasts for a week or week at the most. You are not stuck with a single group all season. Instead, your team stands up stats over the duration of a single week. You can play in heads-up contests against other gamers or test your skill in massive tournaments which sometimes give away more than a million dollars to the first place winner.
You may read more about fantasy sports betting here.
Legislative Efforts for Daily Fantasy at California
2016 was a significant year for the daily fantasy sports business in California. In January of 2016, lawmakers introduced AB 1437 in an attempt to create a regulatory framework for everyday fantasy sports sites. If enacted, the bill would need DFS sites to obtain a permit, apply a minimum age of 21 for many customers, hold all clients’ funds in a segregated account and offer self-exclusion applications for players.
The bill advanced previous three important votes by a total of 101 for and 2 against. This is a significant bill for California and it looks increasingly likely to be passed into law. On the other hand, the bill itself does not really legalize online fantasy sports contests; it only sets the states where the business would be regulated.
California Attorney General Kamala Harris is expected to issue a judgment on whether fantasy contests constitute illegal gambling under law. If she principles favorably, AB 1437 will have all in place to permit and controlled dream sites instantly. The AG’s ruling has been expected for at least a year today. In the meantime, California fantasy sports sites continue to function freely.
As of 2019, progress on the bill appears to have completely stalled. The good news is fantasy sports websites continue to be active throughout the state. Legalizing fantasy sports in California would essentially be a formality at this point.
Online Casinos
There aren’t yet any legal online casinos in California. The state has not even tried to pass laws in this regard so it’s going to likely be years before we see legitimate gaming websites open to CA residents.
Don’t be tricked by the hundreds of other sites which are currently recommending”legal” online casinos. These are actually offshore gaming sites that have no legal existence whatsoever in the United States. They are unlicensed and completely unregulated.
Although to be fair, there are no state or federal laws that prohibit playing offshore casinos. If you do choose to play online, nobody will come kick in your front door. The largest risk is financial — you never know for certain who you’re dealing with on the opposite side of the screen. Some offshore casinos could be safe while others are clearly outright scams. But regardless of where you play, you have no legal recourse when things go belly up.
Your very best option would be to look at some of the other legal, accredited and secure forms of betting that are available at this time in California. Between horse racing, fantasy sports and most likely online poker very soon, there are still lots of other methods to play real money games online at protected, licensed websites based in the united states.
Horse Betting
Online horse racing is alive and well in California. The horse gambling situation here is not nearly as complex as the poker situation. California does allow residents to play US-licensed horse wagering sites such as TwinSpires, BetAmerica and TVG.
Each of the major US-based horse gambling sites accept customers from California. The country also enables off-track betting (OTB) facilities. OTB facilities function as brick-and-mortar betting shops where people can walk in, place bets on races and collect their winnings in person.
Five racetracks operate across the country and they too allow for real cash wagering. In total, you can bet online at any one of the approved horse betting websites, off-track at an OTB location or in-house in any of the tracks listed below. California is also home to county and state fairs that hold races in various times annually.
The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) oversees all horse racing and wagering within the country. The CHRB’s assignment is to guarantee the integrity, ethics and safety of the state’s horse racing industry. They manage wagering, breeding, physical security and the marketing of horse racing.
California Racetracks
CalExpo:
The California Exposition and State Fair functions a year-round harness racetrack that runs every day at around 5:20 PM.
1600 Exposition Drive
Sacramento, CA 95815
Website Golden Gate Fields
This track is located in Berkley with races and simulcast events every week.
1100 Eastshore Highway
Berkley, CA 94710
Site Santa Anita
Santa Anita is one of the most widely recognized racetracks from the USA and home to major events such as the Santa Anita Derby, Santa Anita Handicap and occasionally the Breeder’s Cup.
285 W. Huntington Drive
Arcadia, CA 91007
Website Del Mar
Del Mar opened in 1937 with a renowned race between Seabiscuit and Ligaroti. Seabiscuit hardly took the race and became a legend of his own. Now, Del Mar plays host to racing festivals, events, family fun days and much more.
2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd..
Del Mar, CA 92014
Website Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos Race Course is home to daylight thoroughbred racing and night quarter racing. The trail is home to a number of the largest quarter horse bets races in the united states.
4961 E. Katella Ave.
Los Alamitos, CA 90720
Site OTB Locations
You will find 31 off-track betting facilities in California. OTB centers can be found at fairgrounds, racetracks, specialty OTB shops, casinos and fairgrounds. You can see a full list of addresses and locations here.
Internet Bingo
There seems to be no motivation to especially legalize online bingo in California. The only realistic chance I see online bingo coming to California is whether it gets caught up in some future online casino legislation.
Lottery Games
Ca lottoThe California state lottery isn’t authorized to sell tickets on the internet or through telephone. For years, the federal Wire Act prohibited states from selling lotto tickets on the net. This might not be the case forever. In 2009, New York and Illinois asked the Department of Justice to clarify its position on the Wire Act and clarify exactly which forms of online gambling were prohibited.
The DOJ responded in 2011 with a choice that had far-reaching consequences beyond just the lottery. Back in September of 2011, the DOJ issued an announcement the official interpretation of the Wire Act only applies to sports gambling on the net. This gave countries the go-ahead to sell tickets on the internet if they choose.
Lottery Subscription Sites California hasn’t yet joined the growing list of countries that sell lottery tickets on the web. But, there are a number of messenger services that will go buy lottery tickets at face value for a monthly subscription fee. You can log in to those sites, pay face value for your tickets and then the company is going to go and purchase tickets in your title.
As an example, LottoGopher.com is a California-based membership site that offers this specific support. The site is registered in California, its owners are background-checked by lottery commission officers and it abides by all federal and state laws. They are not legally permitted to sell lotto tickets for more than face value, so that they rather charge users a subscription fee.
A membership at LottoGopher allows you to buy tickets online, select specific amounts as well as form lotto pools with other members. If you win less than $600, Lotto Gopher will credit the winnings to your account which you may then withdraw straight to the bank. If you win more than $600, Lotto Gopher will claim the prize on your behalf in person and then send you a check for the full amount.
The website doesn’t take a cut of your winnings. They only way that they make money is by charging clients a flat subscription fee. At this moment, LottoGopher is only available in California. You can learn more and give it a try here:
www.lottogopher.com
lotto gopher
Is Lotto Gopher untrue?
Yes. They are based in California and say lottery officials understand who they are. It is great that you ask though because there are tons of online lotto websites that feel and look legit but aren’t. Lotto Gopher really is lawful and 100% legit.
They have been all over the media in recent years too. Forbes and ABC have both written articles regarding the service.

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