California Gambling Sites For 2024

In general, online gambling websites use specialized software to offer casino-style gaming, sports betting, racetrack wagering, and online poker games. Many countries, including Canada, allow online gambling websites to operate as licensed online entities.

Under U.S. law, states can authorize the operation of intrastate online gambling websites, if they wish to do so. Only players physically located in states that legalize online gambling can participate, and only three states have legalized online gambling: Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware.

Thus, Californians cannot currently gamble online through California-based gambling websites for money. However, online gambling websites in non-U.S. jurisdictions welcome California players.

Federal law does not permit persons “engaged in the business of betting or wagering” from accepting bets through credit, electronic funds transfers, or other financial instruments from individuals who live in states where Internet gambling is illegal. This federal law targets online gambling websites; it does not make it a crime for U.S. citizens to gamble online, under federal law. However, U.S. states have the power to ban online gambling, or to legalize it.

Thus, some online gambling websites won’t accept players from U.S. states that specifically ban Internet gambling. And because this is a legal gray area, some websites won’t accept U.S. players at all. As explained below, California has not expressly banned its residents from gambling online, so there are plenty of online gambling websites that accept California players.

California has not specifically banned online gambling by California residents through websites located in other jurisdictions. It is unlawful to play certain games, or to bet or wager on sporting events. But online gambling, as a separate activity, is not expressly legal or illegal in California. And in general, enforcement of California state gambling laws is largely focused on those who conduct illegal gambling rings.

The state regulates gambling by prohibiting the operation of unlicensed gambling establishments, and there is no mechanism to license online gambling websites. Thus, any online gambling website that currently operates in California for profit would be considered illegal, and players should not gamble through California-based websites for money.

There are legislative efforts to regulate online gambling within California, and the ability of Californians to gamble on California-based websites may become a reality in the near future.

For instance, SB 51 would allow entities to apply for a license to operate an intrastate online casino websites offering authorized games to registered California players.

Another bill, SB 678, would authorize Internet poker websites to operate in California. States such as Nevada and New Jersey have already legalized the operation of intrastate online gambling.

There is also a push to legalize online gambling at the federal level. Recently, a New York congressman introduced the Internet Gambling Regulation, Enforcement and Consumer Protection Act. It would create uniform standards for online gambling websites in the U.S. However, until California allows online gambling websites to operate within the state, California players who want to play online must do so through websites hosted in other countries, and there are plenty that cater to California players.