If the gambling industry must settle for state-by-state legalization, California represents the Holy Grail of online betting in the US. It is the most populous state in the union with a $2 trillion economy that would rank number 8 on earth if it was its own country. International gambling sites have gone out of the way to obtain licenses in countries much smaller than California.
All eyes are on California as countries mull legalizing a variety of forms of online gaming. If California does go the method of legalization, it would by default be the standard by which gambling is measured in the USA. If the state does finally regulate gaming and it’s successful, other nations will surely follow suit. We might even see something finally happen at the national level.
Different pieces of legislation have been released, taken down and reintroduced in the past several decades. We don’t have anything major to report yet, but many observers are cautiously optimistic that California will at some point make a significant move toward legalization. Here is why:
The country has a pro-gambling civilization The state already has legal casinos and card rooms
It is home to numerous Indian tribes That Are experienced in gaming California has a spending problem and the potential tax earnings must surely be tempting for state lawmakers
Present Collection of Betting Sites in California
We are going to discuss the different betting options in California in greater detail below, however I’d like to start with a fast list of betting sites that are available at this time in California. If you’re here searching for a place to gamble online, these are the sites that will permit you to play with and bet real money today.
Sports Gambling:
RankBetting SiteBonusRatingVisit
1
100% up to $50
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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 at California
Lawmakers in California have shown some interest in legalizing sports betting of late. A bill introduced at the 2017/18 session proposed amending existing gaming law to allow the California legislature to authorize sports gambling determined by the Supreme Court overturning the national sports gambling ban (which it did).
ACA 18 itself did not seek to legalize wagering; it instead offered a constitutional amendment that would enable lawmakers to legalize and regulate sports gambling in the future. When he introduced the bill, Assemblyman Adam Gray stated,”The choice isn’t’should we have sports wagering or never have sports wagering.’ We all do have sports wagering.”
The point he was making is that sports betting is currently a huge 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 online sportsbooks and local bookies in contrast to the law. The present condition prohibition isn’t functioning, the logic goes, so the wise thing to do is legalize it, regulate it and tax it.
A report from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming published in 2017 believes California is very likely to legalize sports gambling in five years from the date of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn PASPA. California has lots of potential to turn into a major sports gambling market, but as you’ll see in the next section, competing interests in the country have a propensity to complicate matters.
Assemblyman Gray introduced the exact same legislation in 2018 and 2019 as he continues to push the issue. Getting the tribal groups on board has been exceedingly hard as they control an $8 billion gambling industry and therefore are highly reluctant to get on board with sports betting at risk of starting their profitable compacts with the condition to negotiation once more.
Online Poker in California
The quest for online poker in California is being fought in the courtrooms as you read these words. Bills seeking to control internet poker have been released annually since 2007. None of those bills have made it all of the way through the legislative process because of vying factions on all sides of the issue, but each year brings us nearer to finding an agreement that satisfied all interested parties.
In fact, a lot of the difficulty can be attributed to rival interests in the state. It appears everyone has an agenda and it isn’t easy to find consensus among the Indian tribes, Cuban operators and existing online brands. One group or another always feels left out or concentrated by the wording of laws. And to be fair, that’s frequently a legitimate concern.
To add to the difficulty, there continue to be powerful lobbying groups that actively fight the legalization of poker or any other kind of online gambling in the united states. Casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson has pledged to fight legalization across the nation. In California alone, he spent more than $300,000 to lobby against poker.
Not a single one of the bills introduced over the last decade-plus has made significant progress thanks to the various competing interests in the state. The following bill is just one of many efforts to make something happen in California, but it serves as a Normal example of how complex and difficult It’s to make progress in California:
AB 2291: Promising Start but Died in Committee
Assembly Bill 2291 was first introduced back in February 2014 but never made it outside the committee period. 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 just and issue 10-year licenses . The suggested fee for licensing has been originally set at $5,000,000, with that charge being used 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 variations of AB 2291 contained several clauses which have caused tension between various factions competing for a piece of this poker pie. Most controversial among these is a”bad actor” clause. AB 2291 initially sought to require prospective licensees to have at least five decades of gaming experience in California. Additionally, it required every facet of an operation, from its own employees to its equipment to its bank account to be held in condition.
In essence, AB 2291 would have prevented all of present internet poker suppliers and newer local casinos in California out of competing. The wording of this bill very clearly favored a few established California casino groups at the expense of fair competition.
Another problem with AB 2291 was that it might have prohibited California from entering agreements with other states to combine player pools and improve liquidity. In other words, you’d only see different Californians in the table however many sates legalize poker. To top it off, and the bill would require the country to determine of any laws passed at the national level allowing internet poker.
Some progress was made in 2016 with a proposed amendment which could significantly alter the bad actor clause. Previously, the bill would have barred all online poker firms which operated after the passing of the national Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. Such limitations would have banned established brand such as PokerStars from entering the marketplace.
The previous amendment proposes to rather transfer the chalk date to the bad actor clause up towards the end of 2011. In other words, sites like PokerStars that functioned after the UIGEA but subsequently left the market after the Black Friday indictments at 2011. This could stop the most egregious violators from entering the market but afford PokerStars a chance to offer online poker legally in California. You may read more about the proposal here.
Looking back in 2018: The Good and Bad
The Poor Lawmakers and tribal groups are stuck in stalemate for going on four years now. It is wonderful to see some progress on this front, however it’s also discouraging to find the outright 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 that, online poker seems to have taken a step back in 2018. For the first time in more than a decade, no invoices trying to legalize online poker have been introduced. Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sayer told Online Poker Report he’s giving up on online poker legislation for this season since there is simply no improvement 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 most of this. If poker is indeed legalized in California, the potential player pool will much bigger than that which we’ve seen in other nations that have already legalized online poker. Aside from the fact that 38 million people call California home, the country has a poker civilization already thanks to its numerous brick-and-mortar card rooms.
California is very likely to have fewer problems with geolocation of gamers due to the sheer size. New Jersey had all sorts of issues verifying players were really located within the nation. This ended up with plenty of potential players being barred in the state-sanctioned websites there. California does not need to compete with congested cities piled up on state boundaries.
Fantasy Sports
Whenever the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) has been passed in 2006, it supplied two notable exceptions to internet gambling: horse racing and fantasy sports. The UIGEA didn’t just exempt those kinds of gambling; it essentially gave operators the go-ahead to offer their games to clients right here in the US.
Some countries have since passed legislation banning online fantasy sports but California is not one of these. In case you have a thing for sports gambling but prefer to do it at a safe and regulated manner, fantasy sports is your way to go. You draft a team like in regular dream leagues except now you get paid real money if you win.
FanDuel.com and DraftKings.com will be the two biggest players in this marketplace. They both accept customers from CA and provide single-day fantasy leagues such as your NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, college basketball and college football.
One of the pleasant things about online fantasy sports is every competition only lasts for a day or week at the most. You’re not stuck with one group all season. Instead, your team stands up stats over the course of one week. You can play in heads-up contests against other players or test your skill in massive tournaments that occasionally give away more than a million bucks to the first place winner.
You may read more about fantasy sports betting here.
Legislative Efforts for Daily Fantasy at California
2016 was a significant year for its daily fantasy sports business in California. In January of 2016, lawmakers introduced AB 1437 in an attempt to create a regulatory framework for daily fantasy sports sites. If enacted, the bill would need DFS sites to obtain a permit, apply a minimum age of 21 for many customers, hold all clients’ funds in a segregated account and extend 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 appears increasingly likely to be passed into legislation. On the other hand, the bill itself will not really legalize online fantasy sports competitions; it only sets the states where the industry 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 rules favorably, AB 1437 will have everything set up to permit and controlled fantasy sites instantly. The AG’s judgment has been expected for at least a year now. In the meantime, California fantasy sports websites continue to operate freely.
As of 2019, advancement on the bill seems to have fully stalled. The good news is fantasy sports sites are still active throughout the state. Legalizing fantasy sports in California would basically be a formality now.
Online Casinos
There are not yet any lawful online casinos in California. The nation has not even attempted to pass laws in this regard so it’s going to probably be years until we see legitimate gambling websites open to CA residents.
Don’t be tricked by the hundreds of other sites which are recommending”legal” internet casinos. All these are actually offshore gaming sites without any legal presence whatsoever in the USA. They are unlicensed and completely unregulated.
Although to be honest, there are no state or national laws that prohibit playing at offshore casinos. Should you decide to play online, nobody is going to come kick in your front door. The biggest risk is financial — you never know for certain who you’re dealing with on the other side of the display. Some offshore casinos may be safe while others are clearly outright scams. But no matter where you play, you don’t have any legal recourse if things go belly up.
Your very best option would be to look at some of the other authorized, accredited and secure types of betting that are available at this time in California. Between horse racing, fantasy sports and most likely online poker very soon, there are still lots of other methods to play real money games online at protected, accredited sites based in the US.
Horse Betting
Online horse racing is alive and well in California. The horse betting situation here isn’t nearly as complex as the poker scenario. California does allow residents to play US-licensed horse wagering sites such as TwinSpires, BetAmerica and TVG.
All the major US-based horse gambling sites accept customers from California. The state also enables off-track betting (OTB) facilities. OTB facilities function as brick-and-mortar gaming stores where people may walk in, put bets on races and collect their winnings in person.
Five racetracks run across the country and they also allow for real money wagering. In total, you are able to bet online at any of the approved horse betting websites, off-track at an OTB place or in-house in any of the tracks listed below. California is also home to county and state fairs that hold races in different times each year.
The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) oversees all horse racing and wagering inside the state. The CHRB’s mission is to guarantee the integrity, viability and security 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 operates a year-round harness racetrack that runs every day at around 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 like the Santa Anita Derby, Santa Anita Handicap and sometimes the Breeder’s Cup.
285 W. Huntington Drive
Arcadia, CA 91007
Site Del Mar
Del Mar started in 1937 with a renowned race between Seabiscuit and Ligaroti. Seabiscuit hardly took the race became a legend of his own. Today, Del Mar plays host to racing events, concerts, family fun days and more.
2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd..
Del Mar, CA 92014
Website Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos Race Course is home to daylight thoroughbred racing and night quarter racing. The track is home to a number of the largest quarter horse bets races in the US.
4961 E. Katella Ave.
Los Alamitos, CA 90720
Site OTB Locations
You will find 31 off-track betting facilities in California. OTB centers can be seen at fairgrounds, racetracks, specialty OTB stores, casinos and fairgrounds. You can see a complete list of locations and addresses .
Internet Bingo
There seems to be no motive to especially legalize online bingo in California. The only realistic possibility I see online bingo coming to California is if it gets caught up in some upcoming internet casino legislation.
Lottery Games
Ca lottoThe California state lottery is not licensed to sell tickets on the internet or through telephone. For many years, the federal Wire Act banned states from selling lottery tickets on the net. This may not be the case forever. In 2009, New York and Illinois requested the Department of Justice to explain its position on the Wire Act and clarify exactly which types of online gambling were prohibited.
The DOJ responded in 2011 with a choice that’d far-reaching consequences beyond just the lottery. In September of 2011, the DOJ issued an announcement the official interpretation of the Wire Act only applies to sports gambling over the internet. This gave countries the go-ahead to sell tickets on the internet if they choose.
Lottery Subscription Websites California has not yet joined the growing list of states that sell lottery tickets on the web. But, there are a range of messenger services which will go buy lottery tickets at face value for a monthly subscription fee. You can log in to those sites, pay attention for your tickets and then the corporation is going to go and purchase tickets on your name.
For example, LottoGopher.com is a California-based membership site that provides this exact service. The website is registered in California, its owners are background-checked by lottery commission officials and it abides by all federal and state legislation. They are not legally allowed to sell lotto tickets for more than face value, so they instead charge users a subscription fee.
A membership at LottoGopher lets you buy tickets online, select certain numbers as well as form lotto pools with other members. Should you win less than $600, Lotto Gopher will charge the winnings to your account which you can then withdraw straight to the bank. Should you win more than $600, Lotto Gopher will claim the prize on your behalf in person then send you a check for the complete amount.
The site does not take a cut of your winnings. They only way 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 legit?
Yes. They are located in California and say lottery officials know they are. It is good for you to ask though because there are tons of online lotto websites that look and feel legit but are not. Lotto Gopher really is legal and 100% untrue.
They have been all over the media in recent years as well. Forbes and ABC have written articles regarding the service.
Read more: mmabettingnow.com