• Legal Online Sports Betting California
• Online Sports Betting California

Sports Betting in California is not yet legal and licensed but there is good news ahead. The Golden State, has tried to regulate online betting multiple times in the past and are likely to try again soon.

As the biggest state in the US by far, it’s inclusion in authorizing regulated sports wagering in California would mean an approximate $2.5 billion market.

However, the state is heavily dominated by tribal casinos and the political landscape is complicated, which means that the efforts to legalize online sports betting have met great opposition.

For now, all online betting is made on offshore casinos or on Daily Fantasy Sports, which is legal since it hasn’t been classified as real money gambling.

To bet on sports in California isn’t prohibited, it is not expressly regulated either, which makes it a grey area at best.

Online Sports Betting California Updates

While industry experts say that there won’t be any change in California sports betting legislation soon, there has been some developments recently.

As an advocate of sports betting at both tribal casinos and commercial sportsbooks, state senator Bill Dodd sponsored a bill to regulate online and mobile sports gambling in 2020. However, it too has been stalled because of coronavirus. Though there is adamant support of regulated sports betting in California, online and mobile gambling.

When and if online will become legalized in the Golden State sportsbook operators such as BetMGM, DraftKings and William Hill, together with all the other major online sportsbooks, are likely to apply for CA online sports betting licenses.

1. Betting with the best online sportsbooks and bookmakers is a great experience. The same cannot be said for some other sports gambling sites on the web. So, if you want to get the best from your online sports betting, our list of the best sports betting sites for California is exactly what you need.
2. As of right now, there are no legal sports betting options, online or live, available in California. Some offshore online bookmakers do offer no deposit sports betting but our best advice is to avoid this legal grey area and wait for 100% legal and safe sports betting to arrive in California.

BetMGM is one the fastest growing sportsbooks in the US and likely to enter California once there is a licensing process in place for sports gambling. Read our BetMGM California review.

FanDuel needs no further introduction. The kings of DFS and sportsbook (where legalized) are just like DraftKings almost guaranteed to enter the market once regulators authorize sports online.

DraftKings is widely known in California through their DFS product. Their sportsbook will most certainly be one of the first to open up for CA customers. Read our DraftKings California review.

William Hill is one of the most active sportsbook brands in the US with casino sportsbook partnerships all across the US. William Hill is one of the UKs oldest and most well established sportsbooks with over 100 years of history of sports betting. Read our William Hill California review.

California Sports Betting Hearing – January 8th, 2020

On January 8th, California took a great leap towards opening up the discussion about legal sports wagering in the Golden State. The Joint Assembly and Senate Governmental Organization Committees held a meeting in the state capital, where they invited industry experts to discuss what a legal California sports betting market could look like.

Research expert Chris Grove said that the California market could be worth $2.5 billion per year given that mobile sports betting would be included. However, Grove tweeted after the hearing that he could “feel” the obstruction in the room, and that he didn’t believe that California would legalize online betting in the near future.

Tribal Casinos File Sports Betting Authorisation Ballot Measure – November 2019

A coalition of 18 tribes put in a ballot measure that would legalize sports betting subject to state-wide approval. The measure would authorize sports betting and horse wagering at tribal casinos with a 10% tax rate on gross win. This measure would not include mobile betting.

Bill Dodd Sports Betting Bill Introduction – June, 2019

Senator Bill Dodd and Assemblyman Adam Gray introduced the constitutional amendment bill ACA 16, to the legislature. The bill would authorize sports betting subject to state-wide voter approval. The California Nations Indian Gaming Association opposed the regulation of sports wagering until their monopoly on card games was restored.

California Online Sportsbooks Amendment Proposal – July, 2017

Gray proposed an amendment to authorize betting in California provided that PASPA would be repealed. The amendment would be accepted subject to a two-thirds majority vote before it could be placed on a ballot for the next referendum.

Daily Fantasy Sports Authorization – January 2016

Adam Gray introduced the AB 1437 bill that regulated and authorized Daily Fantasy Sports. The bill passed unanimously in January 2016 and have regulated DFS since.

What Kind of Gambling is Legal in California?

As of now, there are a few options available for gambling in California:

• Cardrooms
• Charitable Gambling
• Pari-mutuel Horse Wagering
• Daily Fantasy Sports (contested wether legal or not)
• Indian Gaming
• Lottery

Cardrooms

Card rooms are very popular and within California state borders there are close to 70 card rooms venues (the number of card rooms vary over time but is stable between 60-70). These card rooms offer non-banked poker, Pai gow, Blackjack, Baccarat and Chinese poker and Panguingue.

Charitable Gambling

Non profit organizations can offer raffles, bingo games and poker nights.

Pari-mutuel Horse Wagering

Pari-mutuel wagering pools all bets made on a race and distributes winnings from the pool. This is currently the only way of real money sports betting in California.

Daily Fantasy Sports

DFS is not regulated as interactive gaming, and is therefore not prohibited in California. This makes it possible to bet on sports, without the element of real money. This is a good choice for players that are interested in other sports than horse racing.

Indian Gaming

Native American tribes can offer casino gambling and there are currently over 60 casino venues operated by California tribes which means that all casino gambling is operated by native American tribes.

Legal Online Sports Betting California

California State Lottery

The lottery offers scratchcard and draw games. You can buy tickets to interstate Mega Millions and Powerball draws through the California state lottery.

Travel to Vegas

A more serious, betting alternative is to actually drive to Las Vegas which is a fairly close destination. As the gambling capital in the world, Vegas offers wagering on casino slots and table games and sports in their casino venues, and it is a simple weekend destination if you are interested in betting on sports in California.

The Future of Betting on Sports in California

There is an interesting battle going on for the sports betting legalization in California.

Both the state and the native tribes in the state are keen to get exclusive rights to sports betting, and the coalition of tribes that proposed a measure in November 2019 might be the closest option at the moment.

However, since they didn’t include mobile betting in their bill, the market size would not reach the $2.5 billion that is up for grabs. The question remains unanswered until further proceedings from the legislature.

As any bill would need a supermajority of two-thirds, there will be a lot of legislative work to form a consensus before we will see any real progress.

FAQ

Yes, gambling is legal at Tribal Casinos, card establishments and horse tracks. There is also a legal state lottery in California.

No. Pari-mutuel horse wagering and Daily Fantasy Sports are the only legal betting options in California.

As more US states are opening up for legal sports betting, land-based and online, California is likely to follow suit. A reasonable guesstimate is sometime in 2022 but could be earlier or later.

$2.5 billion

Yes, at tribal casinos

Yes

No

Yes, there is no legislation prohibiting DFS

California is one of the largest states in the country for professional sports, so it’s no surprise to hear that people have been searching for legal California online sportsbooks with which to wager.

There are five MLB teams, four NBA teams, three NFL teams, three NHL teams, three MLS teams, and over two dozen NCAA Division 1 clubs – with 11 FBS college football programs – within the state.

With so many options, CA residents have almost endless local options for teams and players to bet on year-round. Needless to say, sports-related betting is a huge component of the legal California online gambling market.

The repeal of PASPA in 2018 means that the Golden State now has the option to install state-regulated online and physical sports betting venues if they so choose. A 2020 bill to put sports betting on the November ballot was shelved, which means that online gambling sites operating offshore are currently the only legal options for CA sports bettors.

Is Online Sports Betting Legal In California?

Placing bets online in California is not illegal in any way as long as you are doing so through offshore sites that are legally regulated through the proper licensing channels overseas. There are no California gambling laws or federal laws in place to stop CA players from accessing these services or sites.

While offshore bookmakers have been providing their services to CA for decades, Golden State residents might one day see an extended range of options that includes domestic betting destinations. It would just require some changes to California’s online gambling laws.

However, while attempts have been made to do just that, as of late 2020, there has been no real movement in the legislature to get the market off the ground. A ballot measure for 2020 was shelved in the state assembly, and it won’t be revisited until 2022 at the earliest.

Legally Licensed Online California Sportsbooks

Below, you will find a listing of the best California sports betting operators that we recommend for players searching for legal and reputable gambling services. These websites have been vetted for legality, security, stability, quality, and overall reputation. Additionally, each is legitimately licensed in its home country to provide gambling services to CA players.

Best Betting Sites for California in 2021

Other California Gambling Pages

What Sports Can I Bet On Online?

The sportsbooks that we have recommended include a vast range of sports to choose from. They feature all the professional domestic sports organizations you expect, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and the MLS.

In addition, you’ll have betting access to all the major fights in the world of boxing and MMA. And, of course, college football betting is always available. Other popular markets include:

• Premier League Soccer
• Bundesliga Soccer
• La Liga Soccer
• World Cup Soccer
• International Rugby
• International Cricket
• International Hockey
• Professional Tennis
• Professional Golf
• Canadian Football
• Australian Rules Football
• Summer Olympics
• Winter Olympics
• eSports
• Sports Sims
• +More!

Bettors will find that licensed offshore CA online gambling sites are able to harness the flexibility afforded by the Internet to offer an extended range of options across all betting venues, including California online poker rooms, casinos and bingo halls.

Can I Bet on the Super Bowl Online if I live in California?

You absolutely can! All of the reputable online sportsbooks listed on this page welcome Super Bowl betting enthusiasts from California.

In fact, the Super Bowl is the most bet-on event in CA – and the rest of America – every year, and all the best online betting sites serving the state offer hundreds upon hundreds of bets for the big game.

Super Bowl futures are available year-round, and leading up to the big game, you’ll get more Super Bowl props than you can handle.

Are There Sports Betting Bonuses Available For CA Players?

The online sportsbook bonuses that are available to CA bettors are lucrative. At these top-tier providers, bettors will find valuable welcome bonuses and reload bonuses that can increase their deposits by 50-100% or more, especially when they fund their bets with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and other supported altcoins.

Online Sports Betting California

Online sports betting bonuses provide plenty of extra betting power but do come with wagering requirements attached, which are easy to meet.

All of the bonus offers provided by the books on this page have been vetted to include reasonable and attainable rollovers, so we recommend always accepting such betting promotions when they’re offered.

Can I Bet On Sports From My Mobile Phone?

You sure can! The most popular California sports betting sites are all fully mobile-optimized without any app downloads required.

With responsive web design that fits any size of screen or make/model of device, it doesn’t matter if you prefer iPhone sports betting or Android sports betting. As long as you have a reasonably current smartphone or tablet and an Internet connection, you can bet on the go from anywhere in the state.

Just log in to your betting service of choice, and you will have access to all of your account details, the ability to make mobile deposits and request mobile payouts, and the full menu of sports betting odds that you’d get via your site’s desktop portal.

Are There Live Betting Options Online?

Coupled naturally with the mobile platforms, the live-betting options are stunning and widely available. Right from the homepage of any top CA sports betting website, you will be confronted with the option to place those intense in-game bets.

Each of our listed brands offers multiple sports categories for live betting and live in-play betting, giving gamblers the chance to recover bad pre-game bets, double down on blowouts, and a financial incentive to play until the final whistle.

How Do Deposits And Withdrawals Work?

Every reputable online California sportsbook has their own wallet systems built into the member accounts that are protected by SSL data encryption and monitored by digital security firms around the clock. All the deposit options are US-friendly and typically include a selection of the following:

• Bitcoin
• Altcoins (Litecoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Stellar, Bitcoin Cash, etc.)
• Zelle-To-Bitcoin
• Credit Cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express)
• Debit Cards
• International Gift Cards
• Bank Wires
• Cashier’s Checks
• Money Orders
• QB Direct
• Quickbit
• Casino Vouchers
• Player Transfers

Keep in mind that major credit and debit cards may not always successfully process due to federal banking laws such as the UIGEA, which prevents banks from knowingly processing transactions to and from gambling-related entities.

You can check our guide to USA online gambling deposits and withdrawals for more information as well as great alternatives for CA residents to use to fund their gambling accounts.

By far, the bet funding method we recommend above all others is crypto. When you deposit with Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, you’ll get guaranteed instant transfers, the best deposit limits, no added fees of any kind, access to the best possible bonus enhancements, and the ability to claim same-day withdrawals.

Crypto is the only banking method that allows for same-day payouts at legal offshore CA sports betting sites.

California Professional Sports Teams To Bet On

NFL

• Los Angeles Chargers
• Los Angeles Rams
• San Francisco 49ers

NBA

• Los Angeles Lakers
• Los Angeles Clippers
• Golden State Warriors
• Sacramento Kings

MLB

• Los Angeles Angels
• Los Angeles Dodgers
• Oakland Athletics
• San Diego Padres
• San Francisco Giants

NHL

• Anaheim Ducks
• Los Angeles Kings
• San Jose Sharks

MLS

• LA Galaxy
• Los Angeles FC
• San Jose Earthquakes

California College Football Teams To Bet On

• Cal Poly San Luis Obispo – Mustangs
• Fresno State – Bulldogs
• Sacramento State – Hornets
• San Diego State University – Aztecs
• San Jose State University – Spartans
• Stanford University – Cardinal
• UC Berkeley – Golden Bears
• UC Davis – Aggies
• UCLA – Bruins
• University of San Diego – Toreros
• University of Southern California – Trojans