If the gambling industry must settle for state-by-state legalization, California represents the Holy Grail of online gambling in the united states. It is by far the most populous country in the union with a $2 trillion market that would rank number 8 in the world if it had its own country. International gambling sites have gone out of the way to acquire licenses in countries much smaller than California.
All eyes are on California as states mull legalizing various forms of online gaming. If California does ever go the method of legalization, it would by default become the standard in which gaming is quantified from the United States. If the nation does finally dominate gambling and it is successful, other states will surely follow suit. We might even see something eventually happen at the national level.
Different pieces of legislation have been released, shot down and reintroduced in recent decades. We do not have anything major to report however, but most observers are cautiously optimistic that California will at some point make a significant move toward legalization. Here’s why:
The state has a pro-gambling civilization The state has legal casinos and card rooms
It’s home to many Indian tribes That Are experienced in gambling California has a spending problem and the potential tax revenues must surely be enticing for state lawmakers
Current Collection of Betting Sites in California
We are going to discuss the different gaming choices in California in greater detail below, but I’d like to begin with a fast list of gambling sites that are available right now in California. If you’re here looking for a place to gamble online, these are the sites which will permit you to play with and wager real money today.
Sports Gambling:
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Fantasy Sports:
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Up to 4 Free Entries
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Free Contest Entry
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Horse and Greyhound Betting:
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$20 Free + 100% up to $100
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100% up to $100
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Wager $500, Get $100
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Online Lottery Tickets:
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No Bonuses Offered
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Games of Skill:
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Daily Offers and Specials
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Sports Betting in California
Lawmakers in California have shown some interest in legalizing sports betting of late. A bill introduced at the 2017/18 session suggested amending existing gambling legislation to allow the California legislature to authorize sports gambling contingent upon the Supreme Court overturning the national sports gambling ban (which it did).
ACA 18 itself didn’t seek to legalize wagering; it rather provided a constitutional amendment that would enable lawmakers to legalize and regulate sports betting in the future. When he introduced the bill, Assemblyman Adam Gray stated,”The decision isn’t’if we have sports wagering or not have sports wagering.’ We all do have sports wagering.”
The point he was making is that sports gambling is already a massive black market in California and throughout 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 the law. The present state prohibition isn’t working, 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 very 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 significant sports gambling market, but as you’ll read in the next section, competing interests in the country have a propensity to complicate matters.
Assemblyman Gray introduced the same legislation again in 2018 and 2019 since he continues to push the issue. Getting the tribal groups on board has been exceedingly hard since they control an $8 billion gambling industry and are highly reluctant to get on board with sports gambling at risk of starting their lucrative compacts with the state to negotiation once more.
Online Poker in California
The quest for internet poker in California is being fought in the courtrooms because you read these words. Bills seeking to control internet poker have been released annually since 2007. None of those bills have made it all the way through the legislative process because of vying factions on all sides of the matter, but every year brings us nearer to finding an arrangement that satisfied all interested parties.
In reality, a lot of the difficulty can be attributed to competing interests in the nation. It appears everyone has an agenda and it is difficult to find consensus among the Indian tribes, brick-and-mortar operators and present online brands. One group or another constantly feels left out or targeted from the wording of laws. And to be honest, that’s frequently a legitimate concern.
To increase the difficulty, there are still strong lobbying groups that actively combat the legalization of poker or any other form of online gaming in the US. Casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson has pledged to fight legalization across the nation. In California alone, he spent over $300,000 to lobby against poker.
Not a single one of those bills introduced over the last decade-plus has made considerable progress due to the various competing interests in the state. The next bill is Only One of many efforts to make something happen in California, but it serves as a typical example of how complicated and difficult It’s to make progress in California:
AB 2291: Promising Start but Died in Committee
Assembly Bill 2291 was first introduced way back in February 2014 but never made it beyond the committee phase. It was reintroduced in 2015 and 2016, but was still unable to achieve the traction it needed to make it far in the legislative procedure.
The bill sought to legalize online poker only and issue 10-year permits to operators. The proposed fee for licensing has been originally set at $5,000,000, with that charge being utilized to offset future taxes. Lawmakers bumped that fee up several times until the fee hit a high of $12,500,000 without offsetting taxes.
Early versions of AB 2291 included several clauses that have caused tension between different factions competing for a part of the poker pie. Most contentious one of them is a”bad actor” clause. AB 2291 originally sought to require potential licensees to get at least five decades of gambling experience in California. It also required every aspect of a procedure, from its own employees to its equipment to its bank accounts to be kept in state.
Essentially, AB 2291 could have prevented all of present internet poker providers and newer local casinos in California out of competing. The wording of the bill very clearly preferred a few recognized California casino classes at the expense of fair competition.
Another issue with AB 2291 was that it would have banned California from entering arrangements with other states to unite player pools and improve liquidity. In other words, you’d only see different Californians in the table no matter how many sates legalize poker. To top it off, the bill would require the state to determine of any laws passed at the federal level permitting online poker.
Some progress has been made in 2016 with a proposed amendment that would significantly alter the bad actor clause. Previously, the bill would have barred all online poker companies that operated after the passing of this federal Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. Such restrictions would have prohibited established brand for example PokerStars from entering the market.
The last amendment proposes to instead transfer the chalk date for the awful celebrity clause up towards the end of 2011. In other words, sites like PokerStars that functioned after the UIGEA but left the market following the Black Friday indictments in 2011. This would stop the most egregious violators from entering the market but manage PokerStars an opportunity to offer online poker legally in California. You can read more about the suggestion .
Looking back in 2018: The Good and Bad
The Poor Lawmakers and tribal groups have been stuck in stalemate for about four decades now. It’s nice to see some progress on this front, however it is also discouraging to find the stubbornness on the part of varying factions. Poker players would be better served through an open and competitive market 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 have been introduced. Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sayer advised Online Poker Report that he’s giving up on internet poker laws for this year since there is just no progress being made in reaching a compromise between the tribes, local card rooms and other interested parties.
The Great There are a number of positive things to say about all this. If poker is indeed legalized in California, the potential player pool will much bigger than that which we’ve seen in other states that have legalized online poker. Aside from the fact that 38 million people call California home, the country has a poker culture already as a result of its many brick-and-mortar card rooms.
California is likely to have fewer issues with geolocation of players due to the sheer size. New Jersey had all types of problems verifying players were actually located within the state. This ended up with loads of potential players being barred in the state-sanctioned sites there. California does not need to compete with congested cities piled up on country borders.
Fantasy Sports
When the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed in 2006, it provided two notable exceptions to internet gaming: horse racing and fantasy sports. The UIGEA didn’t just exempt these kinds of gaming; it essentially gave operators the go-ahead to provide their games to clients right here in the united states.
Some states have since passed laws banning online fantasy sports but California is not among those. If you’ve got a thing for sports gambling but would rather do it at a safe and controlled fashion, fantasy sports is your thing to do. You draft a team like in regular fantasy leagues except now you get paid actual money if you win.
FanDuel.com and DraftKings.com will be the two largest players in this marketplace. They accept customers from CA and offer single-day fantasy leagues for the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, college basketball and college football.
One of the pleasant things about online fantasy sports is each contest only lasts for a day per week at the most. You’re not stuck with a single group all season. Instead, your team racks up stats over the course of a single week. You can play in heads-up competitions against other gamers or test your ability in massive tournaments which occasionally give away more than a thousand dollars to the first place winner.
You may read more about fantasy sports gambling here.
Legislative Efforts for Daily Fantasy in California
2016 was a significant year for the daily fantasy sports industry in California. In January of 2016, lawmakers introduced AB 1437 in a bid to create a regulatory framework for everyday fantasy sports websites. If enacted, the bill would require DFS sites to obtain a permit, apply a minimum age of 21 for many clients, maintain all clients’ funds in a segregated account and offer self-exclusion applications for players.
The bill advanced past three major 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 to law. However, the bill itself will not actually legalize online fantasy sports competitions; it only sets the conditions where the business would be regulated.
California Attorney General Kamala Harris is expected to issue a judgment on whether or not fantasy competitions constitute illegal gambling under state law. If she principles favorably, AB 1437 will have all in place to license and regulated fantasy sites instantly. The AG’s ruling was anticipated for more than a year today. Meanwhile, California fantasy sports websites continue to operate freely.
As of 2019, progress on the bill seems to have fully stalled. The fantastic news is fantasy sports websites are still active throughout the state. Legalizing fantasy sports in California would essentially be a formality at this point.
Online Casinos
There are not any legal casinos in California. The state hasn’t even attempted to pass legislation in this regard so it’s going to likely be years before we see legitimate gambling websites open to CA residents.
Don’t be tricked by the hundreds of other sites which are currently recommending”legal” internet casinos. These are actually offshore gambling sites that have no legal presence whatsoever in the United States. They are unlicensed and completely unregulated.
Although to be fair, there aren’t any state or national 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 sure who you are dealing with on the opposite side of the screen. Some offshore casinos may be safe while some are definitely outright scams. But regardless of where you play, you have no legal recourse when things go belly up.
Your best option is to look at any of the other authorized, accredited and secure types of gambling that can be found at this time in California. Between horse racing, fantasy sports and also many likely online poker quite soon, there are still plenty of other methods to play real money games online at protected, accredited sites based in the united states.
Horse Betting
Online horse racing is alive and well in California. The horse betting situation here isn’t nearly as complex as the poker situation. California does permit residents to perform at US-licensed horse wagering websites for example TwinSpires, BetAmerica and TVG.
All the significant US-based horse betting sites accept clients from California. The state also allows off-track betting (OTB) facilities. OTB facilities operate as brick-and-mortar gaming stores where people can walk in, put bets on races and collect their winnings in person.
Five racetracks run upon the country and they also allow for real cash wagering. In total, you are able to bet online at any one of the horse gambling websites, off-track at an OTB place or in-person at some of the monitors listed below. California is also home to county and state fairs that maintain races in different times each year.
The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) oversees all horse racing and wagering within the state. The CHRB’s assignment is to ensure the integrity, viability and safety of the nation’s horse racing industry. They manage wagering, breeding, bodily security and the marketing of horse racing.
California Racetracks
CalExpo:
The California Exposition and State Fair functions a year-round harness racetrack that runs daily at approximately 5:20 PM.
1600 Exposition Drive
Sacramento, CA 95815
Website Golden Gate Fields
This track is situated in Berkley with races and simulcast events every week.
1100 Eastshore Highway
Berkley, CA 94710
Website Santa Anita
Santa Anita is among the most widely recognized racetracks in the United States 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
Site Del Mar
Del Mar opened in 1937 with a famous race between Seabiscuit and Ligaroti. Seabiscuit barely took the race became a legend of his own. Today, Del Mar plays host to racing festivals, events, family fun days and much more.
2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd..
Del Mar, CA 92014
Site Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos Race Course is home to daytime thoroughbred racing and nighttime quarter racing. The trail is home to some of the largest quarter horse stakes races in the united states.
4961 E. Katella Ave.
Los Alamitos, CA 90720
Site OTB Locations
There are 31 off-track betting facilities in California. OTB centers are found in fairgrounds, racetracks, specialty OTB stores, casinos and fairgrounds. You may see a full list of locations and addresses here.
Internet Bingo
There seems to be no motive to specifically legalize online bingo in California. The only realistic possibility I see of online bingo coming to California is if it gets caught up in some upcoming online casino legislation.
Lottery Games
Ca lottoThe California state lottery isn’t licensed to sell tickets online or through phone. For many years, the federal Wire Act prohibited states from selling lottery tickets on the net. This may not be the case forever. In 2009, New York and Illinois asked the Department of Justice to explain its stance on the Wire Act and explain exactly which forms of online gambling were prohibited.
The DOJ responded in 2011 with a choice that had far-reaching effects beyond just the lottery. In September of 2011, the DOJ issued a statement that its official interpretation of the Wire Act only applies to sports betting over the net. This gave states the go-ahead to sell tickets online if they choose.
Lottery Subscription Sites California has not yet joined the growing list of countries that sell lottery tickets on the web. However, there are a number of messenger services which will go buy lottery tickets at face value for a monthly subscription fee. You can log into those sites, pay attention for your tickets and then the company is going to go and purchase tickets on your name.
By way of instance, LottoGopher.com is a California-based membership website that provides this exact service. The site is registered in California, its owners have been background-checked by lottery commission officers also it abides by all federal and state laws. They are not legally permitted to sell lotto tickets for more than face value, so they rather charge users a subscription fee.
A membership at LottoGopher lets you purchase tickets online, pick specific amounts as well as form lotto pools with different members. If you win less than $600, Lotto Gopher will credit the winnings into your account which you can then withdraw straight to the bank. Should you win more than $600, Lotto Gopher will maintain the prize on your behalf in person then send you a check for the complete amount.
The website doesn’t take a cut of your winnings. They only way that they make money is by charging customers 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’re based in California and say lottery officials understand who they are. It’s great that you ask though because there are a ton of online lotto websites which look and feel legit but aren’t. Lotto Gopher really is lawful and 100% legit.
They have been all over the media in the past few decades too. Forbes and ABC have both written articles about the support.
Read more: sportsdede.com