Best Online Casinos for California
The Golden State has a great opening towards wagering, with many people being interested in the phenomenon and wanting to get a piece of the action. Known for the renowned Gold Rush period, with over 300000 people coming in this state, on the prospect of getting rich beyond measures, it makes us wonder: is gambling legal in California? And seeing how the modern days’ Gold Rush is clearly represented by the Internet’s fast-growing online casinos in the US opportunities, sometimes happening overnight, another question is raised: is online gambling legal in California? And if the answer is yes, what are the top 10 online casinos California. And here we are to answer these questions.
Best California Online Casino Sites
| Casino | Bonus | Website | Rating | Features | Deposit | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | $2000 | Review |
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| 2 |  | $12250 | Review |
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| 3 |  | $12000 | Review |
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| 4 |  | $2500 | Review |
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| 5 |  | $1000 | Review |
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| 6 |  | $7777 | Review |
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| 7 |  | $3000 | Review |
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| 8 |  | $800 | Review |
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| 9 |  | $4000 | Review |
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| 10 |  | $5000 | Review |
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Contents
Gambling in California
The Current State of Affairs
There are three main directions to follow when looking at the way gambling is regulated in California that is renowned for its liberal stance on most controversial subjects.
First, there is the issue of land-based casinos. The well-known federal law named Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, dating all the way back to 1988, protects the Native-Americans’ right to host, on their reservations’ territories, casinos that contain all the gambling options available. In this state, there are 109 tribes with many more trying to get recognition. This accounts for 67 recognized tribal casinos spread across the state. It might seem like a high number of new online casinos in CA, especially if comparing with other US states, some of which would be happy to own at least ten such facilities. But, these establishments provide gambling entertainment for over 39 million residents, is the most populous state. It also includes cities renowned for the tourism they attract, Los Angeles alone, gathering more than 48 million people each year. So, even with the high number of California online real money casinos, there seems to be an unexploited potential still.
This takes us to the second point of discussion. Gambling games aren’t allowed elsewhere in the state, besides casinos, with a sole exception. And this makes the gambling laws in CA a bit of an oddity. Gambling games involving cards are allowed to be played in special locations around the state, called card rooms. This exception allowed over 100 poker playing rooms being made available, outside of tribal casinos.
Still, the potential and the interest remain high over what these already established facilities offer, thus there is still room for a California online casino to be opened. However, advanced and quite heated talks have revolved around the online poker issue, with only tangential debates on the possible legislation of a full-rights CA online casino.
The Status of Online Gambling
The Poker Conflict
In a state with liberal views and with an equidistant approach on expressing opinions, things aren’t always going in a fast forward, efficient manner. In fact, they often come to a clash between different groups of interests, both submitting valid points to sustain their opposite convictions.
That being said, when the question arose if is it legal to gamble online in California, two strong groups of supporters took sides in a confrontation of the strong-minded. For the time being, the laws on betting online are similar to what Schrodinger’s legislature might look like: they’re neither legal nor illegal, making them reside in an undefined status. But even though the debate on creating best online casinos with real money for California has never been a seriously backed discussion, CA law-makers have had an intense dispute over making online poker legal in California.
As with every story, there are two sides. The first is the group that supports the regulation of online poker and lobbies the passing of such bills that’ll allow that to happen. These are the same interested operators, tribal and commercial alike, that have signed a deal with PokerStars, to enter into a partnership that would prove to be beneficial for both parties involved: the first would profit out of using the world’s largest poker website’s infrastructure, design, graphic, software and clients database, while the website would have access to an untapped, large category of paying customers.
Side number two is made out of the better part of tribal casino operators, which fear that the allowance of PokerStars in the market they’re currently dominating that of poker gambling is likely to ensure a drastic cut out of their market quota, allowing the feared competitor to dominate the California poker stage.
For now, it would seem that the second group has taken the upper hand in this battle. Besides keeping the status quo, they managed to include the concept of “bad actor” in online poker regulations. This clause claims that for the period of time that gambling websites underwent the UIGEA federal law, some sites, PokerStars being specifically mentioned amongst them, kept on accepted money from US payers. This might make these sites undesirable and ban them from the CA gambling scene for good.
Online Casinos Regulations
But, in the end, the simple question remains: can you gamble online in California, can you play real money mobile slots? Fact is, that even though the matter is kept in the grey area, with no decisive conclusion on other sides, no operator or gaming software provider risks setting up real money online casinos in CA. Still, being able to gamble online legally has never been easier. Taking advantage of the hesitation that US lawmakers have on determining the faith of this sort of business, a number of offshore-based casinos offer their services to most US citizens, California residents included.
Offshore online gambling, as exotic as it sounds, means no borderline illicit methods. It’s just that the websites which offer Californians the opportunity to gamble online, have gained licenses in other jurisdictions, which take on a lighter approach on regulating gambling. Countries such as Canada, Curacao, Malta offer the license with greater ease, but this doesn’t mean they take the respecting of safety measures, lightly. For a higher degree of security, try to connect and play only on the websites that were previously carefully checked and vouched for. And Bovada is one of these websites. Bovada is legal in California so you are welcome to try it!
- 100$ up to $3000
- Top 1 USA online casino
- Fast payouts
Offline Gambling Options
Oddities and Innovative Games
The fact that card games are allowed, while other games using devices are not, such as roulette or craps, has made for some innovative ways of playing the traditional games, basically creating new and even popular versions. Online gambling in the USA has had a kick out of enlisting these new games in their offer, with a rekindled interest in their array of gambling options.
For example, where the game of craps is concerned, there are two decks of six cards that simulate the roll of dice on each bet. Another version sees the other way around, with the roll of dice establishing which of the cards are to be turned and used.
Also, the law sees that card rooms can’t offer the regular type of blackjack, which is only designated to be played in casinos. Ingenuity strikes once more, with Californians reshaping the game into a new version, where the highest number of point added is 22, instead of what the classic game of blackjack proposes, which is 21.
Tribal Casinos
With more than 50 tribal casinos, the question of whether or not are casinos legal in California becomes redundant. These casinos put together make for the heart of California slot machines, totalling more than 70000 devices. With this impressive number of machinery, it might not look like it, but there is still untapped potential and an increasing interest for this sort of gaming, making a strong point towards the legalization of online gambling in California.
Poker Rooms
We’ve mentioned before about the wide-spread of poker rooms across the state, under the protection of California casino laws, as long as they only offer the card games specified in the bills. The intense lobby towards legalizing online poker rooms as well, even if they’re stand-alone or part of an online casino in California, is bound to not be left without an answer, sooner or later.
Others
Other sorts of gambling include lottery, with tickets that can be bought for Powerball and Multi Millions. Also, charitable gaming, which only includes bingo, as being the only one accepted. California online gambling laws still haven’t figured out a way to add value and help the expansion of gambling, the way that all the other forms should complement the main attractions.
What Does the Future Hold?
Online Poker
Bills are pushed towards being passed, with generous efforts on behalf of PokerStars, whose main interest is regulating poker in California, online being its main focal point. For example, trying to raise awareness and making people decide whether is online gambling legal in California a good thing or not, it went on the Responsible iPoker campaign. Many renowned players and famous celebrities went to various card rooms in order to promote the campaign message.
Daily Fantasy Sports
Another point to be stipulated in the online gambling California laws, which at this moment is not clearly mentioned. Being in the indecisive part of the Internet regulations, two of the biggest sites of daily fantasy sports are currently operating unrestricted in California.
Sports Booking
Following the famed decision of the Supreme Court, which is bound to influence the whole online gambling USA stage, on making it available for lawmakers of each state to decide upon the future of sports betting, a general feeling of optimism is felt on the subject in CA. Even the software platforms for online sports betting in California are ready to be put to use. The only thing left to do is that the different sides of tribal operators to agree on a common plan.
You Might Also be Interested in:
Oregon online casinos
Nevada state online casinos
Arizona online casinos
❓ Is it illegal to gamble in California?
No. Some restrictions are in place, and not all games can be found at any given location, while also on the matter of online casinos California has yet to decide, but there are a large number of available legal gambling options.
❓ Can I gamble online in California?
Placing bets in a CA online casino is a touchy topic of discussion, and while the difference in opinions of various groups of interests, makes it a risky endeavour, there are other options to choose from. Websites headquartered outside of the state are a safe choice, given they respect the security and licensing measures required of any online casino worldwide.
❓ Are online casinos legal in CA?
Unfortunately, owning, maintaining or operating an online casino in CA is outlawed. However, the laws on online gambling in California don’t say anything about playing games at such an establishment, making it perfectly legal to approach Internet casinos based in other countries, which accept CA players.
❓ Is getting arrested for gambling online in CA a real risk?
The rules of online betting in California only stipulates it as illegal the operating of virtual casinos. Persons wagering in these forms of gaming operators is not against the law and is not punishable in anyways.
❓ How old do I need to be to start betting in California?
Most games allow an 18 years old lowest limit, some poker clubs as well. Most of the card rooms, however, accept only players above 21 years old. This is also the recommended legal internet gambling age required in this state.
❓ The winnings on online casinos can be withdrawn in real money?
USA online gambling market assures players that their winnings can be taken out of the online account in real money. Online casinos with California residents’ acceptance also ensure customers that their money will find a way back into their pockets.
❓ Any foreseeable modifications to laws towards permitting online gambling?
California online gambling laws are on the move towards changing. First, the online poker regulations must pass and perhaps the 2019 bill is going to be far luckier than the previous ones.