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. You’ve probably heard mixed answers about the legality of online gambling in California and, therefore, are not sure where you can and cannot play. Because of that, the number one trait that makes California online casinos great is simply the fact that they offer services to California residents and visitors! There aren't any caps placed on winnings, buyins, or bet sizes either, so you can engage in low- or high-stakes gaming, whatever you and your friends prefer. Additional Resources If you're eager to learn more about the situation for California gambling in general, then check out the following.

• Can You Gamble Online In The State Of California
• Can You Gamble Online In California
• Can You Legally Bet Online In California

Not all states that allow legal sports betting will choose to use online or mobile wagering platforms. Some have rules that allow online and mobile wagering anywhere within state lines, while others require bets to be placed inside a casino. California online casinos allow players between 18 and 21 (depends on the casino), while interactive forms of gambling only allow players aged 21 and over. All forms of gambling in the state are regulated by the California Gambling Control Commission and the Bureau of Gambling Control. What’s Popular to Play in the Golden State?

Can You Play Online Poker in California?

Online poker in California seems to be a distant dream at best. For now, it seems that Golden State residents won’t be able to enjoy internet poker and online poker rooms any time soon. While some states have moved forward with legislation regarding online gambling, that hasn’t been the case for CA. And that obviously damages the prospect for online poker as well.

California has a complex gambling legislation, which makes matters worse. Attempts to launch California online gambling haven’t been successful at all. Not even the current boom inonline sports betting seems to have moved the pointers in the slightest. That being said, it is all down to financial implications. If, at some point,California online poker does make business sense, it will become available.

For now, California players can still enjoy one of the best markets in the US for live poker. While it isn’t possible toplay online poker for real money in the state, players can still do it the classic way. There is no shortage of good poker rooms in CA. It is possible to play some of the best poker games in California poker rooms, including Texas Hold’em, Omaha and Seven-card Stud, among many other popular poker games.

While there is no real money online poker in California, it is still possible to play other poker sites. Sweepstakes poker and social poker games are all legal alternatives in the state, and a decent workaround if you just want to play poker for fun. Sweepstakes poker sites, such as Global Poker, allow you to exchange the in-game currency for real cash and withdraw it.

California gambling introduction

Gambling in the US is always going to be a touchy subject. And it’s obviously no different for California. The Golden State’s gambling legislation has been in place since the 19th century. The California Penal Code prohibits casino games and house-banked games.

In 1933, a voter referendum legalized horse racing wagering. In 1976, California allowed charitable bingos, while the state lottery was approved in 1984.

While California gambling laws are quite strict, the prohibition does not apply to poker. Rather, California is arguably among the best in the US for poker players. In 1997, the Gambling Control Act established the creation of the California Gambling Control Commission, which, among other duties, became responsible for overseeing card rooms in the state.

Following the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, most online poker sites stopped taking in players from the US. Because of this, poker players in California aren’t able to play online for real money either.

California poker legality

Poker is legal to play in California. While the state legislation prohibits most forms of gambling, it does have some exceptions, especially when it comes to card games. Since poker doesn’t fall under the house-banked games prohibition, players in California are allowed to enjoy live poker.

However, the state has yet to make any advances on its online gambling legislation. Despite a recent boom in sports betting and other states making significant progress in moving forward with internet gambling, CA has been lagging behind.

For now, playing online poker in California for real money remains illegal. That doesn’t mean, however, that players in California aren’t allowed to play poker online. Sweepstakes poker and social poker games are still legal, although you won’t be able to play for real cash.

California poker rooms

Players still have plenty of options to play poker in California. The state gambling legislation does allow card rooms, so live poker is perfectly legal. According to the California Gambling Control Commission official website, the state currently has over 60 operating card rooms out of 86 active licenses. CA has 1,922 tables for card games, including poker.

The state gambling legislation allows tribal casinos as well as horse racing bets along with its card rooms and poker rooms. Commercial casinos are still prohibited, and so is real money gambling online. So, for now, California players will have to remain without a single online poker site.

California legal online poker

It isn’t possible to play real money online poker in California. However, there are some legal workarounds that do allow you to play online poker in the state. The options available are sweepstakes poker and social games.

Sweepstakes poker allows you to exchange its in-game currency for sweepstakes. You can then wager these and in turn exchange them for cash later. While you won’t be playing for real cash, this is as close as it gets. Social poker games, on the other hand do not pay any cash whatsoever. You will be playing for an in-game currency that has no use outside of the poker site.

California Online Poker and Penal Code

With no viable options to play poker online for money in California, some players might consider offshore poker sites as an alternative. Playing online at an offshore poker site is considered a grey area.

While not exactly illegal, there is no way of telling if it is considered legal either. You most likely won’t get into legal trouble for playing at an offshore online poker site. However, it’s highly advisable that you avoid doing so, even though some of these sites do accept U.S. online poker players.

Offshore online poker sites aren’t regulated by US gambling authorities. Instead, these sites operate under licenses issued by other international gambling authorities. These licenses don’t have many requirements, and regulation isn’t as strict. Additionally, these sites offer very little player protection. Some of them might be reliable, but it can also be a bit of a dice roll. One way or the other, you are better off avoiding offshore online poker sites.

California online poker sites

California does not have a poker site to play online for real cash yet. Since the state has yet to make any significant inroads regarding online gaming, the situation will likely remain this way in the near future.

Well-known online real money poker sites such as PokerStars, PartyPoker, 888Poker and WSOP aren’t allowed to offer their games in California.

A good legal alternative to play online poker in California is Global Poker. This sweepstakes poker site accepts players from CA. Since you won’t be playing for actual cash, it does not infringe the state gambling legislation. At the same time, sweepstakes poker is the closest you can get to playing online poker for real cash in California.

Global Poker in California

Global Poker is a sweepstakes poker site available for players in California. You won’t be playing for real cash, however. Rather, you are allowed to buy in-game coins and exchange them for sweep coins. Global Poker allows you to redeem sweep coins for real cash after wagering them in the games. Since it doesn’t directly involve cash wagering, Global Poker is legal to play in California.

Poker games available to play at Global Poker include Texas Hold’em and Omaha. It also offers Sit ‘n Go tournaments and Bounty tournaments. Players in CA can also enjoy online poker with social gambling apps. These do not involve real cash either, although it isn’t possible to redeem the in-game currency for actual money.

Poker games that involve any form of money wagering, such as cash games, aren’t available to play in California.

California Poker Games

Players in CA won’t have any trouble finding card rooms, which are legal under the state gambling regulation. Poker rooms in California offer many popular poker game variants, including Hold’em, Omaha, Card-Stud and many others.

Online poker isn’t available to play for actual money, so cash games aren’t available for players in California. For now, sweepstakes poker and social gaming apps remain the only way for players to enjoy online poker. California does not have any plans yet to introduce online poker for real cash in the state.

Land-based operators aren’t allowed to offer online poker. California poker players will likely have to wait for a while longer before the state legislators actually make some progress with online gaming regulations. If it does happen eventually, California players will be able to enjoy all the popular online poker game variants. Poker sites such as PokerStars, PartyPoker, 888Poker and WSOP offer Hold’em, No-Limit Hold’em, Pot-Limit Hold’em, Omaha variants, Seven-card Stud and many other poker games.

California online gambling

There have been no significant inroads to legalize internet gambling in California yet. This means that state residents won’t be able to enjoy popular online poker operators such as PokerStars, PartyPoker, 888Poker or WSOP, all of which already offer their services in other states.

A recent attempt by the Lipay Nation of Santa Ysabel’s Desert Rose to run an online bingo site did not succeed. The online bingo site had a complicated workaround ato offer legal online gaming, but the 9th Circuit of Court Appeals ultimately ruled against it. Since the precedent has already been set, it looks like online gaming in California will remain in the limbo for a bit longer.

California Poker Sites FAQ

How to play online poker in California?

For now, the only ways available to play poker online in California are sweepstakes poker sites and social gaming. While you likely won’t get into legal trouble for playing at offshore sites, you are better off avoiding this option. There is no current precedent to penalize players for this, but offshore sites aren’t regulated by U.S. authorities. Therefore, they have no requirements to follow U.S. legislation. Additionally, they operate under relatively lax regulations and a good number of them do not offer enough protection to the players.

What California poker sites take PayPal?

Online poker isn’t legal in California, so there are no internet poker operators in the state. In other words, you can’t use PayPal to deposit since online poker isn’t legalized in the state. Live poker at card rooms is the only way to play poker for actual cash in California.

What poker sites are legal in California?

The only sites legal in California are sweepstakes poker and social gaming. These are legal alternatives for online poker in California, although they do not offer real cash wagering. California does not allow any forms of online gambling, and that also applies for online poker.

Where can you play online poker in California?

The online poker alternatives available in California are sweepstakes poker, such as Global Poker, and social gaming. These do not offer real money poker games however, since California does not allow online gambling. Cash games and other poker games that involve any form of money wagering aren’t available for players in California.

Is PokerStars legal in California?

No, PokerStars isn’t legal in California. The state does not allow internet gambling, which means that popular online poker operators such as PokerStars, PartyPoker, 888poker and WSOP aren’t allowed to offer their games in California territory.

Is it legal to play online poker in the US?

Yes, online poker is legal to play in the US. You can play for real cash if you are at least 21 years old and physically located in one of the states that allow online poker. These states are Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania.

Can I gamble online in California?

No, you cannot gamble online in California. The state gambling legislation does not allow internet gambling, so it isn’t possible to bet on sports, play any online casino games or any online poker games. However, California does allow tribal casinos and land-based card rooms.

Is playing poker for money illegal in California?

No, playing poker for money isn’t illegal in California, since poker is one of the gambling options available in the state. California card rooms aren’t allowed to offer house-banked games. This is not the case for poker, which means that you can play poker games for money in CA.

What kind of gambling is legal in California?

The forms of legal gambling in California are tribal casinos, card rooms, charitable gambling and horse racing wagering. The state does not allow any forms of internet gambling, however. Commercial casinos and sports betting are also illegal in California.

On this page, we’ve compiled an in-depth summary of the current state of online gambling in CA, touching on various topics from the legality of gambling in the state to current regulatory debates. We’ve also compiled a list of safe and secure online casinos for California residents that you can view below, which have all been in business for 10+ years with no issues. If you’re looking for a legal, safe, and trusted California online casinos, you’re in luck!

What Are the Top Real Money Online Casinos in California?

California is known for being a trendsetter when it comes to most industries in the United States. It’s no surprise that legalized online gambling in California has grown far ahead of many other locations in the United States.

Why These CA Online Casinos Are The Best

They Offer Legal, Trusted Gambling Games to Residents and Visitors

The entire reason you’re probably here is to figure out which online casinos offer services to California residents. You’ve probably heard mixed answers about the legality of online gambling in California and, therefore, are not sure where you can and cannot play.

Because of that, the number one trait that makes California online casinos great is simply the fact that they offer services to California residents and visitors!

They Offer Games Californians Love to Play

What good is an online casino if it doesn’t have the games that Californians love to play? We’ll answer that question for you—it’s no good at all. The California online casinos that we’ve recommended offer an extremely wide variety of games, including favorites like blackjack, craps, roulette, three card poker, keno, slot machines, pai gow, sic bo, and more! If you’re looking for an easy way to play your favorite gambling games for real money in California, check out one of the recommended online casinos from the up-to-date list at the top of the page.

They Have Banking Options That Work Fast

Not every banking option works everywhere in the world. There are specific banking options that work better and faster for California residents. When we’re analyzing the quality of California online casinos, we ensure that they have several high-quality online casino banking options that work great for Californians.

While we don’t need tons of options, we do want to see at least a couple of great deposit options and a couple of great withdrawal options. You’re only going to need one, but we want options just so you have a better chance of seeing an option that is a great fit for you.

The Ultimate in Convenience

The entire point of using online casino sites is to provide convenience. California is an extremely spread out state in some areas, which means you may be hundreds of miles from the closest land-based casino. Additionally, that land-based casino might not offer the games you want to play. This is where online casinos come in. The idea of an online casino is to solve these problems and bring convenience to players across the state.

But this convenience goes away if the online gambling site doesn’t set things up properly. It should be super simple for you to create an account, make a deposit, find the games you like, play, and withdraw your winnings. If any of these things aren’t super simple, we’re not interested in the site and you won’t see those California online casinos recommended on this page.

Is Online Gambling Legal in California?

These days, the United States is one of the more confusing countries in the world when it comes to online gambling laws, with dozens of states having different rules and nuances of how they treat the topic. When it comes to California, it is perhaps the unique exception. There are currently no specific regulations that explicitly prohibit online gambling for residents of the state.

Because of this, Californians have little worry when it comes to playing online casino games, and currently, there are a number of trustworthy sites offering online casino games, sports betting, and poker across the state.

Unlike the state lottery, casinos that operate online are not subject to any sort of government scrutiny and, in many ways, can operate without fear of legal ramifications. For this reason, many bills have been proposed with the end goal of legalizing and regulating the online casino industry in the state.

Up to this point, however, any and all legislation aimed at legalizing and regulating online casinos has either stalled or has been flat-out rejected.

What Does This Mean for You?

There are two important takeaways you should get from this. One, it is not illegal for you to gamble online in California. You are free to play the games you want for real money without fear of negative repercussions. Two, the market is unregulated, which means that you will not have some of the added protections and oversight you would get in a regulated market.

This makes it that much more important that you choose to gamble online in California. The good news for you is that casinos make a lot of money. For them to continue making money, they have to continue having happy customers that are getting the entertainment value they desire. If they are not operating reputably and taking care of their customers, word will get out, and their cash cow is going to dry up. This places a huge incentive for online casinos in California to do things the right way as if they were being regulated.

Still, not every online casino follows that mindset. There are some California online casinos that only look at the short term and don’t care about their long-term sustainability. Because of this, it is also important that you take advantage of resources like this site to help you determine where the best casinos online are. If you want to ensure you’re betting with one of these reputable sites, stick to the recommended list we’ve provided at the top of the page.

The Future of Online Gambling in California

Despite what has been a mostly fruitless endeavor up to this point, experts believe that California is one of the next states that will establish legalized intrastate online casinos. Each year, it seems as though a larger number of bills for the complete and total legalization and regulation of online casinos gets put into circulation.

It is only a matter of time until one of them is signed into law. With that being said, online gambling sites are what many would consider to be the least of California’s governmental problems. With almost constant drought, severe debt, and many other issues on hand, it becomes difficult for activists to convince politicians and voters alike that establishing an online casino network is something that should be done soon. Many efforts have been made, and only few have succeeded.

The fact that the California government does not oversee them does not mean that the California online casinos which offer their games are not trustworthy. These casinos are regulated abroad and most are very reliable; you just have to sign up with time-tested ones with stellar reputations. To help you with choosing a legal CA online casino to play at, we have reviewed and researched dozens and recommend the best online casinos for California residents at the top of the page.

Can You Gamble Online In The State Of California

Legal Status of Brick and Mortar Casinos — California

In California, there are plenty of brick-and-mortar locations all over the state. One thing that all of these casinos have in common, however, is that they are all Native American-run and almost always located on Native American land. This sounds like a rather conservative policy for an otherwise liberal state, but the wider scope of gambling and casinos in California is not as restrictive as it may first appear. Of course, this all depends on where you reside in the United States.

The land-based casinos in California usually offer all the classic favorites such as slots, roulette, keno, baccarat, blackjack and the like.

Card rooms—as they are known in California—number in the tens of dozens and seem to be growing in number all the time. Poker is the dominant offering of California’s card rooms, however, blackjack variants and other more obscure games can be found being played as well. Basically, so long as the game is centered around playing cards, the rule of thumb is that it can likely be found at a card room. Naturally, some card rooms are better than others, and thus, the offering of one card room is never equal to that of another.

Additionally, if you play non-poker, gambling-type games in one of these card rooms, you’ll notice that the “bank” or who you are playing against will actually be another player at the table who is being paid to be there. It’s a confusing system and clearly a workaround for the state laws, but the outcome is the same. You are able to play your favorite games without fear of negative repercussions.

There are brick and mortar, Native American-run casinos all over the state, however, online gambling is still the easiest way to play any and all casino games at any time of day. When it comes down to it, someone who is looking to play casino games in California will either have to do so at CA online casinos or on Native American land. As you might have guessed, this predicament means that online casino play in California is quite widespread. It’s this common knowledge that is driving the push to legalize and regulate real money online casinos.

In recent years, pro-casino activists have lobbied politicians to promote and/or vote for bills to expand the way in which Californians can gamble at brick-and-mortar sites, but most of those efforts have so far been for naught. This is interesting, too, because California is historically one of the more liberal states in the country. Some of the largest land-based casinos currently operating in California include the following:

Local California Land Based Casinos

California Online Casinos and Gambling FAQ

• Abbreviation: CA
• State Motto: Eureka
• Capital City: Sacramento
• Population Estimate: 39.5 million (1st)
• Website: https://www.ca.gov/

Can You Gamble Online In California

Can You Legally Bet Online In California

Most notably, the online casinos we recommend for California residents have all been operating for many years and have strong reputations to defend. In case of issues, they will resolve them immediately so that their stellar reputations are not sullied. These online casinos also use time-tested technology and reputable casino games, therefore, you can be sure that if you decide to make a deposit in one of these casinos, your depositing process will be safe and secure and the games you will play will be fair and give you an honest chance to win money!