When it comes to online gambling laws and regulations, the US is probably the most confusing country in the world. This is because each state approaches this topic in a different way.
With cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, California hosts a wide array of land-based casinos and resorts, allowing both the residents and tourists to enjoy the casino experience to the fullest.
Given that the number of states that are regulating the online gambling industry is on the rise, California might feel the pressure to resolve that matter as well. If we take the word of some experts, California might be one of the next states that will introduce a legalized online casino system within its borders.
However, since we can’t predict the future, there is no right answer to this burning question. On the bright side, the residents can still enjoy some forms of online gambling. Keep reading to find out exactly what your options are when it comes to online casinos in California.
Top 10 California Online Casinos
1
Bovada
Rating 4.5
Mobile Friendly
Accepts Bitcoin
Live dealers available
Deposit Methods: ACH Direct Deposit, American Express, Bank transfer, Bitcoin, echeck, MasterCard, Matchpay, Visa, Visa Gift Card
The deposit plus bonus amount is subject to a 25x playthrough requirement before the deposit, bonus amount and any winnings can be withdrawn.
Forfeiting this bonus will result in this bonus and any subsequent winnings associated with this bonus to be removed.
Bonus funds cannot be used for play on Live Dealer games.
Craps and Live Dealer play do not count toward meeting rollover requirements for withdrawal.
All games, except Craps and Live Dealer, contribute towards playthrough requirements; however, certain games may have a greater contribution than others.
Deposit Methods: ACH Direct Deposit, American Express, Bank transfer, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Courier Check, echeck, Ethereum, Gift Cards, Litecoin, MasterCard, Matchpay, Tether, User2User Transfer, Visa
Withdrawal Methods: American Express, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Check, Ethereum, Litecoin, Tether, User2User Transfer
The deposit plus Casino bonus amount is subject to a 25X Casino playthrough requirement before the deposit, bonus amount and any winnings can be withdrawn.
• This offer is valid only for first-time depositors at Vegas Casino. • The offer is limited to one player per household and/or computer. • The coupon can only be redeemed once by the player to a maximum of $500 in bonus. • Deposit a minimum $25 to qualify for this bonus. • The deposit and bonus must be wagered fifty (50) times before a cashout is permitted. • Only the following games count towards the wagering requirements of the bonus: some Real Video Slots, some Slots, Keno and Scratch Cards.
Deposit Methods: American Express, Bank transfer, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, BitcoinSV, Courier Check, Ethereum, Litecoin, MasterCard, Matchpay, Player Transfer, Tether, Visa
Bonuses issued at the discretion of the Company are subject to one per individual, household, civic address, e-mail address, deposit instrument, bank account, telephone number, computer/device, and/or IP address.
If you cancel or forfeit the bonus at anytime prior to wagering and rollover requirements being met, all funds generated by the bonus (including the bonus) will be void and be ineligible for reinstatement. Details on the applicable restrictions can be found in the specific terms of the promotion.
Unless otherwise stated, the minimum amount required to activate a deposit bonus is $20.
Bonuses are subject to wagering and rollover requirements and must be met by their specified timeline prior to any approved requested withdrawals.
Players can claim the WILD250 bonus code on their first deposit only.
Players can claim the WILD100 bonus code on their 2nd to 5th deposits only.
A minimum deposit of $20 is required to qualify for WILD250 and WILD100 bonus codes.
The maximum bonus amount per deposit is $1,000.
The correct bonus code needs to be entered to claim the correct match bonus with your deposit. ie WILD250 on your first deposit and WILD100 on subsequent deposits.
This bonus is only valid on select Slots, Table games and Video Poker games.
This bonus is not valid in the Live Dealer Casino.
The deposit plus bonus amount is subject to a 40X rollover requirement before any winnings can be withdrawn.
Not all games contribute towards bonus rollover; please check our bonus contribution page for further details.
If the rollover requirements are not met within 30 days of claiming the bonus, any remaining bonus funds winnings will be forfeited.
Only one bonus can be active at any one time.
The maximum release amount is 5X the bonus amount up to $5,000.
Rollover requirements must be met before any additional bonuses can be granted.
This promotion is non-transferable.
Standard bonus terms and conditions apply.
Wild Casino reserves the right to alter or amend the Terms and Conditions of this promotion at any time without notice.
All free bonuses require a minimum of 60x wagering before any withdrawal can be made. Wagers placed on Blackjack, Video Poker, Craps, American Roulette, Baccarat, and other table or non-slot games will not count toward this wagering requirement unless explicitly stated otherwise. Playing any excluded game before meeting these wagering requirements may result in the casino voiding all winnings and potentially closing the account. Withdrawal requests submitted before completing the wagering requirements will be denied until these requirements are fully met.
Currently, the state of California has no strict laws that prohibit online gambling. On the other hand, the governing bodies of California haven’t yet introduced a law that regulates the industry.
What this means is that, legally, you won’t get into any trouble if you choose to play online casino games. The state doesn’t have a regulated system, so there is no way for the authorities to stand in your way.
There have been attempts to legalize online casinos in California; however, all of them have run into some obstacles. The main reason for that is the opposition of tribal casinos. Their stance regarding the regulation of the online casino industry has been an issue for quite some time.
Fortunately, Californians have certain options when it comes to online casinos. You can run into a large number of online casinos that operate in California. But, the best option for playing online casino games at the moment is the Sweepstakes online casino and poker websites.
These platforms have reinvented old sweepstakes laws and applied them to the online gaming industry. Now, all players can enjoy casino games and win real prizes with the so-called sweepstakes cash. The websites that promote this type of online gambling allow the players to enjoy online slots and table games, as well as blackjack and video poker.
Another option players from California can turn to is offshore online casinos. Most of these online gambling websites accept players from the US. If you’re wondering if it’s legal to play using real money in offshore online casinos — the answer is yes. These online casinos operate outside the US, so it’s not illegal for you to open an account there.
Future of Online Gambling in California
As time passes, this is becoming less of an if and more of a when the government will legalize online casinos in CA. While all the attempts up to this point were futile, the tides seem to be changing. Hopefully, a bill that will be put into motion in the near future might just be the one to change the online casino landscape in California.
Of course, we have to understand that the state of California has much more serious problems to deal with at the moment — debts, as well as constant and severe drought. So, we can’t overlook that, but we can hope the government will understand that legalizing online casinos in the state can actually be beneficial to the state itself.
However, as already mentioned, online casinos that welcome players from California are not regulated by the law. Still, that doesn’t make them untrustworthy. Most of those online casinos are extremely popular. So, if you decide to open an account in an online casino, make sure you do thorough research and only join those that are reliable and have a great reputation.
Brick-and-Mortar Casino Options in California
In the state of California, there is quite a large number of land-based casinos. Interestingly, one thing all these casinos have in common is that they are all run by Native Americans. That implies that most of them are located on Native American soil. You might be surprised since California is considered to be among the most liberal states in the US. We thought so too, at some point. But, CA is not so conservative as it might seem.
Californian brick-and-mortar casinos offer a wide selection of classic casino games to its players. These include slots, baccarat, keno, roulette, and blackjack, among others. Land-based casinos are also known as cardrooms in California. They are located all over the state and their number keeps getting bigger.
The dominant game in these cardrooms is usually poker, but you can run into other offers, such as blackjack and its variants. Naturally, cardrooms are not limited to these two types of games. If you know a game that’s centered around the cards, you will most likely find it in a cardroom. Understandably, the offer of one cardroom isn’t the same as in others.
We were really surprised to learn that if you opt for another form of gambling in a cardroom, you will notice that the so-called bank you are playing against is actually a person paid to be there. We can only suppose that it’s not completely legal to do that, but, in the end, that doesn’t affect the outcome. You are still free to enjoy the game.
Another interesting fact is that, in recent years, there have been numerous attempts to expand the presence of land-based casinos in California, but so far, these attempts have been fruitless. This is quite odd since we’re talking about a state that’s considered one of the most liberal ones in the country.
Land-Based Casinos in California
Below, you can see what some of the biggest brick-and-mortar casinos that currently operate in the state of California are.
Name
Slot Machines
Table Games
1.
Pechanga Resort and Casino
5,000
158
2.
Cache Creek Casino
2,300
More than 120
3.
Morongo Casino Resort
2,700
60
4.
Red Hawk Casino
2,500
More than 75
5.
Table Mountain Casino
2,000
40
6.
Pala Casino Resort
2,200
87
7.
Barona Casino and Resort
2,500
120
8.
Thunder Valley Casino
3,400
125
9.
Viejas Casino and Turf Club
2,500
35
10.
San Manuel Casino
4,900
More than 130
Of course, keep in mind that this is just a small part of the actual number of land-based casinos that operate in California. To find a casino you like the most, you’ll need to do some additional research. Also note, the age restrictions can also vary depending on which casino you go to. Some allow 18+ and some are further restricted to 21+.
FAQ
Since the online gambling industry isn’t regulated in California, we can base this answer on two things — the CA lottery age limit and the cardroom age limit. In order to participate in lotteries, you must be over 18 years old. However, if you want to enter a cardroom, you must be at least 21. So, the safest bet is to say you should be over 21 to play in online casinos in California.
Given that the online gambling landscape in California isn’t actually legalized or regulated, it’s completely normal to have doubts about joining an online casino. If you want to play in an online casino, you need to be thorough while you research the one you like. Be thorough and patient, and you will surely find reputable and trustworthy online casinos in California.
Lately, a lot of online casinos have been introducing this new section on their platforms. Live casino games have become very popular because of the genuine casino experience they offer to their players. Of course, not all online casinos in California have a Live Casino section, so you should look for the ones that do.
The online casino industry is very competitive and innovative, meaning there are multiple types of casino games at your disposal. Simply put, any casino game you can think of already has an online version. What’s more, online casinos are full of surprises, so you might run into some games you’ve never even heard of.
In order to meet the needs of their players, most online casinos offer a wide selection of payment methods. This allows for easy and safe online payments. Naturally, the processing time will depend on the payment method you decide to use.
About the Author
Tum
Administrator/moderator and fixer of things that break on blackjackinfo.com. Tum has contributed to the LCB network for over 10 years working with numerous casino, poker and sports affiliate websites.
For a list of all contributors to Blackjackinfo.com click here