Dodd told LSR that he believed the state needed a more inclusive measure that included online sports betting in California. California sports betting FAQ Is sports betting legal in California? Right now, there are no legal options for sports betting in California. There are two attempts to put the legalization of sports betting on the ballot in 2020. Several daily fantasy sports operators do serve the state, however. Who would oversee sports betting in California? The online sportsbooks that do operate in the U.S. Are able to offer California residents legal sports betting regardless of the state’s regulation, however. This means that although California does not have any regulated online sportsbooks currently operating, international online sportsbooks like Bovada are still accepted and operate in the Golden State thanks to international betting sites. Single game sports betting still remains unregulated in California. If you must scratch your sports betting itch in Cali, fantasy sports are your best bet. Bill Dodd and Assemblyman Adam Gray introduced legislation in late June 2019 that would give California voters the opportunity to green light sports betting in the state. States, from the West Coast to the East Coast and everywhere in between, have legalized sports betting, though California still can’t decide what to do. The problem is that legislators can’t pass any laws to allow sports betting in California until after the matter has been voted on in a referendum.

• Sportsbooks In California Casinos
• Sportsbooks In California

Looking for legal gambling in the Golden State? You have options when betting in California. California is home to 73 tribal casinos, 88 cardrooms, 6 horse racing tracks, 30 off-track betting facilities, and 21,000 lottery retail locations.

The state has a rich history of gambling that can be traced back to the Gold Rush era. California’s Constitution originally prohibited some forms of gambling activities in the state but ultimately left room for executive and legislative rebuttal.

Under the state constitution, the governor can make compacts with local Indian tribes allowing them to operate casinos. The California Constitution also grants the state legislature the authority to regulate horse racing, charitable bingo games, the California State Lottery, and charitable raffles.

All of these loopholes were exercised in the mid 80s to bring a major new industry into being. California gambling operations now employ over 20,000 people and have contributed over one hundred million dollars (pg. 21) to the state budget.

There are currently four primary forms of legalized gambling establishments in California:

• Card rooms
• Native American casinos
• Race tracks
• State lottery

Each category covers one or more forms of gambling (such as casinos offering slots and poker) and each establishment is governed by unique rules and regulations.

California has yet to legalize and regulate online single game sports betting. For now, the best bet for Californians wishing to wager on sports is through daily fantasy sports sites such as FanDuel and DraftKings.

California Sports Betting

Single game sports betting still remains unregulated in California. If you must scratch your sports betting itch in Cali, fantasy sports are your best bet.

Sen. Bill Dodd and Assemblyman Adam Gray introduced legislation in late June 2019 that would give California voters the opportunity to green light sports betting in the state. The legislative vehicle would be a constitutional amendment that voters could approve in 2020.

Previously-proposed sports betting laws have tried to expand the California Legislature’s ability to allow and regulate sports betting operations. This new proposed amendment would bypass the legislature and let sportsbook operations begin after approval.

The finer points of Dodd’s and Gray’s new legislation has yet to be laid out and the two want to hear from California’s varying gambling interest groups before such details are given.

The proposed amendment is currently known as ACA 16 and it will require a two-thirds majority in both California’s Senate and Assembly 180 days before the election.

In a statement, Bill Dodd said this:

“I look forward to working with stakeholders in a collaborative effort to help bring this out of the shadows. By legalizing sports wagering, we can avoid some of the problems associated with an underground market, such as fraud and tax evasion, while investing in problem gambling education.”

Online Sports Betting in California

As for the full array of online betting, Californians wait with bated breath. With online gambling regulations now occurring on a state-by-state, California’s massive population and economy represent the largest chunk of untapped market in the nation. Third largest state by size, California has more residents than any other state in the U.S.

The American Gambling Association estimates that online sports betting brings in $154 billion worth of wagers annually nationwide via offshore betting operations. California contribution to this figure is vast and there have been several legislative efforts to authorize, regulate and tax online betting in the state.

Assemblyman Adam Gray said it best in an interview with KCRA:

“The choice is not ‘should we have sports wagering or not have sports wagering.’ We do have sports wagering.”

A frequent proponent of gambling legislation, Gray continued:

“You could see tax revenue as high as a $100 million or $200 million a year to the state general fund if we authorize sports wagering.”

The Supreme Court’s overturning of PAPSA represents one less hurdle in making online betting and legal sports betting a reality in California.

With that being said, the state’s legislative climate for online betting reform is not as sunny as California’s weather. A report published prior to the PAPSA decision predicted California would legalize sports betting by 2023. More on these efforts below.

Political and market indicators are mixed when it comes to potential reform. On one hand, the state has a history with regulated gambling and the tribes within its borders are considered experts in implementing public safety and integrity provisions.

On the other hand, these established entities and operators frequently fail to come to a consensus on proposed gambling legislation. The state’s everlasting need for tax revenue factors heavily on the minds of state lawmakers and could ultimately drive the issue.

Fantasy Sports in the Golden State

Operators such as FanDuel.com and DraftKings.com operate by way of federal exemptions written into the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA). Beyond these exemptions, the UIGEA also gave states the authority to legalize and regulate online horse racing and greyhound betting.

States still have the option to ban fantasy sports operations within their boundaries although California has not done so. As such, Californians are allowed access to the nation’s safe and regulated fantasy sports markets.

All major fantasy sports sites allow California gamblers to draft fantasy teams and wager real cash money on virtual teams. The major fantasy sports sites operating in CA offer wagering on NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, college basketball and college football.

Always on the crest of new technological waves, California was one of the first states to propose legislation to regulate daily fantasy sports back in 2015. These efforts have completely stalled out since this time (e.g. AB 1437), DFS operators have served the California market nonetheless for years.

There is no law that explicitly makes DFS operations legal in California, but neither is there a law against contests of skill. The legal teams of the nation’s major DFS operators have analyzed CA gambling code and determined it is safe to offer fantasy contests.

As for California’s regulatory efforts of DFS, AB 1437 survived committee hearings and an assembly vote but ultimately died in the Senate. For California to achieve full realization of tax revenues from DFS, these regulatory efforts must be continued.

Horse Racing Betting in CA

California is home to 6 major racetracks and roughly 30 off-track betting facilities. Off-track betting facilities, or OTBs, are brick-and-mortar operations that allow for betting on races held in-state and out-of-state via simulcasting agreements with other tracks.

Casinos and the occasional state fair may also operate OTBs. What’s more, Californians can also bet on horse races online and via mobile devices through sites such as TwinSpires, BetAmerica and TVG.

Horse racing has been a part of California’s makeup since 1933 when voters passed a constitutional amendment that allowed for the regulation of pari-mutuel horse-race gambling.

Also established in 1933 was the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) which currently oversees all horse racing and wagering within the state. The CHRB’s mission is to, “ensure the integrity, viability and safety of the state’s horse racing industry,” and they do so by overseeing the, “wagering, breeding, physical safety and the promotion of horse racing.”

The power of the CHRB was recently expanded when the California State Legislature unanimously approved to give the regulatory agency the authority to suspend or move races without the requisite 10-day public notice period.

“We must take action now to protect horses and jockeys, ensuring safety is always paramount in California horse racing,” said the bill’s co-sponsor, Sen. Bill Dodd. “Because clearly, there is a problem here, and we can’t sit back and do nothing.”

Dodd was referring to the record number of horse deaths at Santa Anita race track during the 2019 season. When the CHRB asked Santa Anita to cancel its last scheduled races, the race track denied the request and continued the scheduled races. Under CHRB’s new authority, there would be legal recourse for such defiance.

Sportsbooks In California Casinos

California Card Rooms

California’s card rooms are some of the oldest legal gambling institutions in America. These days, larger cardrooms are not the norm. Most of California’s roughly 89 cardrooms are now smaller operations as publicly owned corporations are prohibited (pg. 4) from investing in card clubs.

Regulations of card rooms were historically a local affair and state regulation really took hold in the mid-80s. With the flow of information really taking off in this period, it made sense to crack down on criminal gambling activity on a statewide level. These efforts solidified in 1998 with the passage of Gambling Control Act.

Under the Gambling Control Act, the California Gambling Control Commission oversees operation and supervision of card rooms. According to the CGCC website, the agency is responsible for:

• Taking reasonable actions to ensure that no ineligible, unqualified, disqualified, or unsuitable persons are associated with controlled gaming activities;
• Assessing and acting upon certain restricted transactions including ownership changes and lending arrangements;
• Taking reasonable actions to ensure that gambling activities take place only in suitable locations;
• Granting temporary/interim licenses, permits or approvals on appropriate terms and conditions;
• Developing and implementing regulations pursuant to the Gambling Control Act; and,
• Adjudicating recommendations concerning license denials or revocations, or disciplinary actions.

Tribal Conflicts with Proposed Sports Betting Legislation

Any future sports betting legislation will have navigated the California’s varying interest groups. As it stands, California’s tribes have the exclusive right to operate casinos and therefore any new sports betting or online gambling legislation would have to come terms with the 109 federally recognized tribes within California’s borders.

California Nations Indian Gaming Association Chairman Steve Stallings made it clear where his organization stands on the issue:

“California voters have, on numerous occasions, confirmed the exclusive right of California tribal governments to operate casino-style games. Legalization of sports betting should not become a backdoor way to infringe upon exclusivity.”

Proposed sportsbook legislation would essentially have to be an expansion of the tribes’ existing operations to get the fast track in Sacramento. But who better than the California tribes, with almost 2 decades of modern gambling management and operations experience in the state, to implement the state’s first sportsbooks?

When it comes to online gambling, the tribes have been much more reluctant to embrace change. They have seen advances as direct competition to their brick-and-mortar operations. With heightened geo-location tracking coming online, California tribes with casinos will likely push for legal online and mobile options that can only be utilized when somehow tied with the existing physical casino.

Again, it cannot be overstated enough, no new legislation will pass without the cooperation of the California tribes that have relied on gambling for 19 years. A right-of-first refusal could also address the exclusivity issue and still leave room for the potential of future commercial operators.

One rising tension is between California’s tribes and card room owners. The tribes claim California card rooms are given more enforcement leeway in terms of the games they offer. In turn, the tribes say this is cutting into their operations and the exclusivity agreements found in the compacts they have signed with the state.

The feud between California’s tribes and cardrooms culminated in multiple tribes suing the state over what they claim are infringements of tribal exclusivity agreements.

CA Online Poker

Unfortunately, there is no regulated online poker in California at this time – but not for a lack of trying. Since 2017, bills seeking to allow internet poker have been an annual fixture in the state’s legislature. The vying interest of anti-gambling groups, commercial gambling entities, and the tribes have combined to stall all progress on these bills.

These efforts ceased in 2018 when, finally, no internet poker bills were introduced in the state legislature. Whether these efforts have ceased or evolved is a trickier question. Many believe the road to online poker in California will only come up after sports betting has found a rightful home in the state.

CA Lottery

The California Lottery now has over 10 draw games and dozens of scratchers that it sells at over 21,000 locations across the state. California does not sell ticktes online at this time.

Established in 1984 by a ballot initiative that passed by 58%, the California Lottery was created for the sole purpose of providing supplemental dollars to public schools in the state.

By law, the CA Lottery is required to return 87% of the total annual revenues to public school systems. In the 2017 fiscal year, the CA lottery have $1.69 billion towards public education in the state. This was the eighteenth consecutive year that the lottery had generated over $1 billion dollars to the states school systems.

CA Gambling FAQ

No, but efforts are underway to legalize sports betting in California. While many state residents choose to bet with illegal offshore sportsbooks, the only legal alternative to sports betting in California is daily fantasy sports.

Daily fantasy is not regulated in California, but the state does not prevent users from entering the contests and playing. All major DFS operators are live in CA.

Yes, at multiple racetracks and via licensed horse racing betting sites.

Since the turn of the century, California Lottery has sent over $1 billion dollars annually to K-12, Community Colleges, CSU and UC campuses within the state.

The CA Lottery neither sells tickets online nor endorses third-party services that purchase tickets on behalf of out-of-state players. The only way to buy lottery tickets in CA is to visit an authorized retailer.

Under California law, specifically Subdivision (e) Section 337j of the Penal Code the state allows home card games because they are not technically gambling. “Games played with cards in private homes or residences, in which no person makes money for operating the game, except as a player,” are allowed in California.

California allows nonprofit organizations to have controlled charity gambling for fundraising purposes. State law dictates that, “Nonprofit organizations provide important and necessary services to the people of the State of California with respect to educational and social services and there is a need to provide methods of fundraising to nonprofit organizations so as to enable them to meet their stated purposes.” Therefore, charity games serve the public interest in funding said nonprofits.

When it comes to California online gambling, there are a lot of restrictions placed on California residents. In California, online casinos, online sportsbooks, and traditional online poker sites are illegal. But you do have a few options when it comes to online betting.

Namely, the state of California may run special “second chance” promotions on scratchers. You can play online poker for sweepstake entries. You can bet online on horse races. And you can play Daily Fantasy Sports, which is legal in almost all US states.

Beyond that, California residents are limited to brick-and-mortar casinos and sportsbooks or illegal betting websites.

California Online Gambling Options And Restrictions

Here’s a helpful breakdown of what is and isn’t legal in terms of betting online in CA:

Snapshot Of Online Bets On Horse Racing, A Legal Option In CA

When we normally think about online betting, we’re specifically referring to placing a real-money bet for a chance at real-money winnings. And because both Daily Fantasy Sports and sweepstakes sites are legal across the US, we thought we’d highlight one that’s unique to California’s legal online betting market: horse racing.

Brick-and-mortar horse racing in California spans four full-time tracks up and down the state: Santa Anita Park, Del Mar Racetrack, Golden Gate Fields, and Los Alamitos Race Course. You can bet on those races remotely direct with some of the tracks – or from legal horse race betting websites.

See our comprehensive Guide To Online Horse Betting In The US.

Popular Horse Racing Sites In California

The most popular legal horse racing sites include TVG, Xpressbet, TwinSpires, and BetAmerica. Each hosts a wide range of events that span the entire globe. This includes races in Australia and Southeast Asia, on top of all the tracks within the US.

These websites are popular outlets for two simple reasons: traveling to the track isn’t always feasible, and the promotions are worthwhile. The legal horse racing sites available in California offer no-deposit bonuses, risk-free betting, and loyalty programs, just like the traditional sportsbook.

The bets you can place at these horse racing sites are the same as if you visited the track itself. That means you can win small amounts on micro-bets as well as enormous payouts on long-shot bets like the pick-six bet.

A Rundown Of Each Type Of Online Gambling In California

For a state that has the largest Daily Fantasy Sports market in the country, California bettors have limited options beyond that. Here is a rundown of each type of online betting as it pertains to CA residents and visitors:

CA Online Casinos

There is currently no legally licensed online casino available to people located in California. Californians can travel to states with legal online casinos to bet on digital casino games. They can even join and deposit without placing a bet at many American online casinos. But doing both from within the state is currently against the law.

Will online casinos be legalized in California? Not anytime soon. No recent news coverage has identified any online casino legislation in the works. While the federal government no longer restricts states from legalizing online casinos, it’s up to the state to pass the legislation, issue licenses, and regulate operators.

Online Sports Betting In California

The online sportsbook is another betting option currently unavailable to those located in California.

Folks with legal residencies in states where online sports betting is legal (like Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) cannot place a bet in those states unless they’re physically located within state lines. In that same vein, California residents can legally bet in those states as long as they’re located within the borders.

Further, the state of California doesn’t even offer land-based sportsbooks aside from horse race betting at retail race tracks.

However, many people located in California are a close drive from Nevada, where they can place sports bets online and at brick-and-mortar sportsbook locations.

Online Poker In California

Online poker is currently unavailable in California. However, this is one area where legislation is moving forward.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, state legislators scheduled a bill for vote in November 2020. Whereas some states, like Maryland, moved forward on scheduling votes and referendums, California’s legislation is currently stalled.

For the time being, poker players in California are limited to land-based poker tables. But Southern California is largely considered the brick-and-mortar poker capital of the world, as it’s one of the few places in the country to allow poker since the 1930s.

That’s on top of this being one of the richest regions, inviting both international, national, and local high-rollers to some of the most sought-after seats in world poker.

No wonder so many Hollywood celebrities double as professional poker players, including Tobey Maguire, Ben Affleck, and Jennifer Tilly.

Playing The California Lottery Online

An online lottery is not legally offered in California. Normally, the only online interaction a Californian can have with the lottery is by checking a ticket to see if it’s a winner. You simply download the app and scan the barcode.

Some websites allow you to purchase foreign lottery tickets. But you have to trust that they’ll both buy the ticket for you in-person and pay out any winnings. Even more so than online casinos, we recommend avoiding offshore lottery websites. Imagine if you won a million dollars. What’s to stop them from keeping the money? They have possession of the ticket, and you have zero recourse because the website is unlicensed.

However, California launched a “second chance” promotion for scratch-off tickets in 2019. After a ticket is purchased, you can log in to the California Lottery app and try your luck at another chance to win. Two people won over a million dollars, so keep your eye out for the next time they roll out a promotion like that.

But, in general, you can’t log in to the California Lottery app and buy tickets online. You have to go to a local retailer (the nearest of which is probably around the corner from your home).

Online Bingo In California

Plenty of bingo parlors exist across the state of California. Some even have payouts in the thousands of dollars, but most offer physical prizes.

Online bingo, on the other hand, is not legal in California. You cannot legally purchase digital bingo cards in the hopes of winning real-money prizes that can then be withdrawn. Instead, legal bingo sites are limited to sweepstakes betting.

Thankfully, a simple Google search will identify all the legal bingo events going on in your area.

Online Horse Racing Bets In CA

The only traditional online betting that’s legal online in California is horse racing. You can bet on local, national, and international tracks, from local races in San Diego to races held on the other side of the world.

However, many betting websites that take horse racing bets from folks in CA are illegal and unlicensed, so it’s important to be sure you’re depositing at a legal choice.

It also might be worthwhile to note that horse racing could be nearing its finish line as a practice in California. The activist outcry against what many dub animal cruelty, particularly in a famously progressive state, could make horse racing illegal before the state legalizes online sportsbooks and casinos.

Still, even if horse racing goes the way of greyhound racing and is outlawed in CA, betting on it online will almost certainly remain legal.

Is Daily Fantasy Sports Legal In California?

Yes. Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) is legal in most states because their operators convinced legislators that DFS is skill-based. So, while almost all states have outlawed online casinos, online sportsbooks, and poker sites, DFS is only unavailable in the following states:

• Hawaii
• Washington
• Idaho
• Montana
• Arizona
• Louisiana
• Alabama
• Delaware

In every other state as well as Washington DC, you can legally play DFS at DraftKings, FanDuel, and other operators.

If you’re wondering how sports betting isn’t skill-based but DFS is, that’s a hotly debated topic. If you’re wondering how DFS is more skill-based than poker, no one has a good answer for you. It’s a total mystery.

See our guide to How To Play Daily Fantasy Sports In California.

Sweepstakes Betting Sites In California

Sweepstakes betting sites can legally offer online casino games, Bingo, digital scratch-offs, sportsbooks, and even poker. What’s more, some are able to accept your money.

But you can’t win cash through online sweepstakes games. Instead, winning the different bets earns you points that can be cashed in for prize drawings. It’s sort of an online raffle, except you have to play to win entries to the raffle. Then again, many offer introductory promotions that give you free entries. But ongoing opportunities require playing the different games.

To call sweepstakes betting sites gambling is a massive stretch, even more so than considering DFS “skill-based” but not sportsbooks or poker. Still, you can win cash prizes based on playing blackjack, slots, roulette, and so on. So, while it’s not gambling, it has the feel of an online casino.

Check out our Guide To California Sweepstakes Sites And Online Casinos.

A Very Brief And Somewhat Disappointing History Of Online Gambling In California

Interestingly, gambling is one of the few bipartisan issues in the United States. Republican, Democrat, and Independent politicians can be for or against legalization, political party notwithstanding. This is important to mention because online gambling legislation is a political issue, and California is a historically left-leaning state.

Since states across the country began legalizing online casinos and online sportsbooks, California has been slow to follow. But this isn’t for a lack of demand; rather, it’s a matter of political will. Passing new legislation requires cutting through a mountain of red tape. And the recent push toward legalized online poker in 2020 was stymied by COVID-19.

Effect Of The Wire Act

For decades, the government used the Federal Wire Act of 1961 to restrict all forms of online gambling at the federal level. In September 2011, the US Department of Justice under the Obama administration declared that the Act only applied to sports betting.

In 2018, the Trump Justice Department reversed course. It retracted the 2011 DOJ opinion and declared the Wire Act applied to all forms of online betting. The Fifth Court of Appeals then said the Wire Act only applies to sports betting. Then the Department of Justice filed an intention to appeal that decision. And if you’re confused, welcome to the club.

And that’s where we are at the federal level.

Basically, the history of California’s online gambling is yet to be written. Online poker seems to be the most likely legalization in the near future. And the growing demand for legal online sportsbooks will likely reach a fever pitch across the country, California included.

The Legality Of California’s Brick-And-Mortar Gambling

The most liberal aspect of legal gambling in California compared to other states is the cardroom. These land-based establishments allow poker, blackjack, pai gow, and baccarat but do not permit slots or table games.

Cardrooms also serve food, drinks, and host events, which gives them the feel of a casino. But if you like the digital games or roulette, you’ll have to travel one state over to Nevada. Further, since 1995, the state won’t allow additional cardrooms to open. If a California cardroom goes out of business, the state will not issue a license for a new cardroom to open in its place.

Another option is to travel to Native American reservation casinos. In California alone, there are over 60 different tribal casinos that span the state.

You can also play the California State Lottery, which is available for purchase and cash-in only within the state borders. However, you can also play Mega Millions and PowerBall, which is available in 45 states, California included.

Quick Facts On CA Gambling

How Many Casinos Are Located In California?

Within the California state lines, there are two different types of casinos: tribal casinos and cardrooms. Currently, you can bet at more than 60 full-sized tribal casinos and approximately 90 state-licensed cardrooms. These establishments vary in size dramatically, especially when you compare small cardrooms to enormous casino resorts.

Unlike cardrooms, tribal casinos host every type of casino game. This includes slots, video poker, roulette, and craps. That’s on top of the blackjack and poker the cardrooms offer.

How Has The California Casino Industry Grown?

California’s casino industry took off after the ratification of the Tribal-State Gaming Compacts in 1999. Since then, dozens of casinos opened across the state on reservation land.

Because no new cardrooms can open as of 1995, the only way a new casino can open is if it’s tribal-run or the state passes new legislation. That means, for now, the California casino industry has, by all indications, plateaued. This situation appears to be fluid, though. Currently, the moratorium on new cardroom licenses expires in 2023.

Who Owns California Casinos?

Right now, 61 Native American tribes own all the casinos located within California state lines. The names of the casinos normally do not relate to the name of the tribe.

As for the cardrooms, the ownership is even more varied, but they’re often named after the location. For example, Commerce Casino is located in Commerce, CA, while the Napa Valley Casino is located in Napa.

An Overview Of The California Lottery

“Winning the lottery” isn’t as hard as the term might suggest. Of course, the huge jackpots can hold incredibly small odds. Most people who play the Powerball or the Mega Millions every week for their whole lives never come close to winning the jackpot. But playing the lotto in California is a lot more nuanced than that.

Daily 3

Two drawings per day, every day. You can select three numbers or let the computer do it for you. One number can win you over $50, while the three numbers in order can pay out a few hundred dollars plus.

Daily 4

The same as Daily 3, except the prizes are bigger due to the increased difficulty of correctly guessing four in a row.

Daily Derby

This virtual horse racing game allows bettors to guess which “horse” (number) will come in first, second, and third, and the results come in twice per day.

Fantasy 5

The same as Daily 3 and 4, except that the drawing is once per day, and the minimum win on the top prize is $65,000.

SuperLotto Plus

The California-only version of the MegaMillions. The drawing occurs twice per week. The minimum top prize is $7 million.

Hot Spot

In California, lottery retailers host screens with a Keno game called Hot Spot. The Hot Spot allows you to bet every four minutes from 6 AM to 2 AM every day. Payouts are determined by both the price of the ticket and the amount of correctly guessed numbers.

Nonprofit Casino Nights In California

According to California Gambling Law, a nonprofit can use casino games to raise money in what is commonly known as a “casino night.”

However, 90 percent of gross revenue has to go to a registered charity, individual cash prizes cannot exceed $500, and total prizes can’t exceed $5,000.

You also can’t host any aspect of it online.

Are Raffles Legal In California?

Yes, but raffles have similar laws to that of charity casino nights in that 90 percent of revenue must go toward charity. However, 50/50 raffles at sporting events are also allowed and regulated by the Bureau of Gambling Control.

Online raffles are not legal in most cases. Even charitable online raffles are illegal if any form of marketing is done online. But you can legally advertise an in-person raffle, as well as list all the details of the raffle, such as prizes, rules, and even entry forms, which need to be printed out and completed manually.

Is An Office Pool Legal In California?

Yes. Office pools are legal in California so long as:

• It’s not done online
• No one profits off of the pool
• The total pool money doesn’t exceed $2,500

So, if you and your friends want to hold a pool for events like March Madness or do a Super Bowl board, there’s nothing stopping you if you operate within those rules.

Learn More About California Gambling Laws

California Online Gambling FAQ

No. Not unless you’re betting on horse racing, playing a sweepstakes casino or poker site or going for a second chance through the CA Lottery app. Otherwise, you’re gambling at an illegal betting site.

While it’s not illegal to gamble at an offshore casino, you won’t have any recourse if you’re ripped off. Many Californians still choose to bet at unlicensed sites and receive their winnings without issue. But is it safe? Strictly speaking, it is not.

In order to ensure the user base is in compliance with local regulations, online sportsbooks and casinos require members to let them know their location. Otherwise, there’s no way of knowing whether the person is inside the state – or even within the country.

Allowing bets from people located outside of the specific state is illegal. Even those who legally reside in states where online casinos or sportsbooks are legal cannot bet if they’re outside of state lines.

Yes. The second you cross the border into Nevada, you can play at any of their licensed betting websites. Many who live close to the border can feasibly drive over state lines, place their sports bets, drive home, then drive back into the state to collect their winnings.

Yes. State residency does not matter. All that matters is that you’re located within the state lines. That means you don’t even need to be a United States citizen to legally bet at licensed online casinos. This applies to online casinos in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and other states.

Yes. California’s standard income tax applies to any gambling winnings. The only exception is the CA Lottery, wherein the state automatically withholds the 24% tax (30% for non-US citizens or legal residents) if the winnings exceed $600.

So, if you’re a US citizen and win $1,000 on the CA Lottery, you’d receive $760. You would not have to pay any additional taxes.

If your net winnings for the year exceeds $5,000, then your gambling winnings are subjected to a flat tax rate of 25%.

Sportsbooks In California

It’s important to note that “net winnings” means your winnings subtracted by your losses. If you won $10,000 but lost $5,0001, you would not have to pay federal taxes for gambling.

Tribal casinos in California are virtually the same as the casinos you find in Reno or Vegas. The biggest difference is the number of options. If you’re in a more rural part of California, you may be a long drive from the closest tribal casino. If you’re on the Las Vegas Strip, you’re a stone’s throw away from dozens of casinos.