Is Sports Betting Online Legal In California

After the repeal of PASPA in 2018, states had the right to decide if they wanted to legalize and how to regulate gambling in their states. Though some states (like New Jersey and Pennsylvania) forged ahead with legalizing sports betting in retail locations and online, California legalities have been slower fought.

Despite having made various attempts to legalize online betting and sports betting in the state, California so far hasn’t been able to. Though CA online sports betting is currently illegal, the potential tax benefits are likely to sway even those most apathetic to gambling.

Current Online Sports Betting Situation in the USA. Right now, full-on sports betting is available legally in Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, West Virginia, Mississippi, New Mexico, and more states (see our map above to check your home state). More states are introducing it all the time now that the federal ban has been lifted, and, in this section, we’ll explain why.

There are no legal physical sports betting venues in California, yet. It’s easy to hop over to Nevada and place a wager in the neighboring state, but there is another option for bettors that requires no travel time. Although technically not sports betting, it is legal to play daily fantasy sports on sites such as DraftKings, FanDueland Monkey Knife Fight, as well as horse race betting online in California through sites such as TwinSpiresand TVG. Certain forms of gambling are legal in California. These include Native American casinos, cardrooms, the California State Lottery, and parimutuel horse race gambling. Residents of California can also legally enjoy online betting sites. Charitable gambling is also explicitly legal in California. The legal situation regarding gambling online in California is, at best, a little confusing. With a few exceptions, it’s the same in most American states. Although some have legal online gambling that is regulated by the relevant state government, most do not have legislation in place that directly relates to betting and gaming over the internet.

California Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS)

Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) is a new way to play on major league sports teams and players. DFS is available in California. Try your sports knowledge skills by playing DFS, read our Monkey Knife Fight review. Play fantasy games by selecting prop contests on a variety sports events like NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL PGA, soccer, and more.

Most Likely CA Online Sports Betting Sites

Though the future of California online sports betting is still up in the air, we can make some educated guesses about what the market will potentially look like. Here are some likely CA online sports betting sites to open in CA after legalization. These are top sports betting sites in other states and have a high probability of gaining access to the California market as future CA online sportsbooks.

FanDuel

FanDuel has both an online sportsbook as well as a daily fantasy app and site. Since fantasy bets are legal in California online sports betting, there is a strong chance that Fanduel will expand once California laws are finally drawn.

Caesars Sportsbook

Since there is a Harrah’s retail casino in California and Harrah’s is owned by Caesars, it is highly likely that Caesars would open a CA online sportsbook once online betting is legalized.

DraftKings

DraftKings are another daily fantasy based site. The success and popularity of this legal form of California online sports betting is a great way for DraftKings to become a California online sportsbook after legalization.

BetMGM

MGM’s largest single retail casino is located in Las Vegas, not far outside the California border. Since MGM already has affiliations with the California Gaming Commission, they could prove a valuable resource and a pretty safe bet for a future BetMGM site.

California Betting Laws

There aren’t currently any laws in California prohibiting online gambling. However, this also means that it is not state sanctioned or regulated. You cannot legally start a gambling business in the state, but technically there are no laws saying you cannot bet online. You will not face any type of prosecution for betting online in California, but you should still be aware of the safety of the sports betting websites you’re using.

States where you can already place an online sports bet today :

Updated on :

Colorado Illinois Indiana Iowa Michigan Nevada New Jersey Pennsylvania Tennessee Virginia West Virginia

California Online Sports Betting: Events and Betting Markets

Since the sports industry is so large, the potential for California online sports betting is endless. From types of wagers to the sheer number of California teams to bet on, there will be plenty of options when California online sports betting is legalized.

Common Types of Bets

The wide variety of sports leaves the market open for a ton of innovation in betting styles.

Straight Bets

These are the most common types of bets in the industry. When the betting line is set, bettors decide whether to bet on the favorite or the underdog. If you choose the favorite, you increase your betting odds. However, the favorite has to win the game with a higher number of points than the point spread for you to cash in. If you choose the underdog, they have to win or at least lose by less than the point spread. Therefore, while your betting odds increase when betting for the favorite, so does the burden of requirements.

Total Line Bets

This is also a popular sports bet. It’s also pretty straightforward. A number is set for the predicted combined final score of both teams. Then, you would guess whether you believe the actual total will be over or under that amount. It can often be a bet made for half a game in sports like football or basketball.

Money Line Bets

Mostly used in baseball and hockey, these types of bets can be a risk as they do not involve a point spread. Meaning the amount you have to bet varies whether you choose to bet on the favorite or the underdog. For instance, if the Yankees are favored to win against the Dodgers, you may see the betting odds described like this: Dodgers (+120), Yankees (-135). This means to bet on the Dodgers, you would only need to put down $100 and you could potentially win $120. Whereas, you would need to bet $135 on the Yankees to win $100.

Parlay Bets

These are probably the highest risk bets out there. They involve grouping together multiple bets together and can often be bets that last an entire season. There is very little room for error in these types of bets because you need to win all of your separate bets to see any money.

Teaser Bets

This bet is a bit of a twist on a parlay. It is not as high risk and also not as high reward. Bets are still grouped together like a parlay, but you are able to tweak the point spread in this style of betting. Making it a bit less lucrative and a bit more controlled.

Head-to-Head Bets

These bets are made on non-team sports. In sports such as golf and NASCAR, these bets simply represent which of two competitors will win. Often, a money line will be attached as a way to handicap a race. Though this is a popular betting style, it’s also a hard gamble to make considering the size of the field.

Most Popular Sports to Bet On

• Football (both NFL and college)
• Basketball (NBA)
• Tennis
• Hockey (NHL)
• Baseball (MLB)
• Soccer
• Golf
• Boxing
• NASCAR
• Formula 1

Popular California Events

• Auto Club 400 - this is the only NASCAR event held in Southern California. It’s held at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana and usually takes place in March.
• Vans U.S. Open of Surfing - this is known as the biggest surfing event in the world. It’s held in Huntington Beach over nine days in July/August.
• AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-AM- this golfing event started in 1937 with an idea from Bing Crosby. It’s a fun event held in February involving golf professionals and A-list celebrities so it draws a huge crowd of in person as well as at home spectators.
• BNP Paribas Open - held in March, this is the largest international tennis tournament other than the four Grand Slams.
• Sea Otter Classic - known as a “celebration of cycling”, this Monterrey based biking event features a wide range of cycling opportunities.

Best Teams to Bet On

Below is a list of the Major League teams in California. California has nearly twice the amount of major league teams than any other state. All of them present great betting opportunities.

Sports Betting Legislation In California

Baseball

• Los Angeles Angels
• Los Angeles Dodgers
• Oakland Athletics
• San Diego Padres
• San Francisco Giants

Basketball

• Golden State Warriors
• Los Angeles Clippers
• Los Angeles Lakers
• Sacramento Kings
• Los Angeles Sparks

Football

• Los Angeles Chargers
• Los Angeles Rams
• Oakland Raiders
• San Francisco 49ers

Hockey

• Anaheim Ducks
• Los Angeles Kings
• San Jose Sharks

Soccer

• LA Galaxy
• Los Angeles FC
• San Jose Earthquakes

Common Payment Options

For most states, there are a few common payment methods in online sports betting. Here are some of the more popular options.

• Debit/Credit cards
• Paypal
• Prepaid Cards
• Cash at a retail partner’s sportsbook
• ACH/Wire Transfer

Is Sports Betting Online Legal In California 2019

CA Online Sports Betting FAQ

Are sports betting sites legal in the United States?

In the United States, there was a federal ban on sports betting from 1992 to 2018. Known as PASPA, this law made it impossible for states to make their own laws about sports betting. Unless they had been grandfathered in and were already partaking in sports betting before 1992.

When PASPA was overturned in 2018, states regained control of being able to make laws individually. There are legal sports betting sites in the US, however, you should be aware of what state you’re in and what laws apply before betting.

What do I need to register at an online betting site in California?

Registering for an account with most sports betting websites is pretty easy and usually can be done in a couple of minutes. You will have to give your full name, address and date of birth to prove you are at least 21 years of age. You will also have to give an email address as well as some account information like username and password. Additionally, you will have to choose your payment preferences.

Legal Online Sports Betting Usa

Is it safe to deposit money at sports betting sites in California?

Since the California online sports betting market is still unregulated, choosing a top sports betting site with a good reputation for safety is important. The best way to find out whether a particular sports betting website is safe is to do some research. There are plenty of reviews out there for bettors to read and educate themselves with. Choose a website with a good reputation and you should feel very secure about depositing your money.

Can I set betting limits?

Yes. On most betting sites you can set deposit limits, loss limits and transfer limits. This helps you limit your losses and betting liability. You can decide whether you want these limits to apply on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis.

Final Thoughts on Betting in California

Though it’s still unregulated now, California online sports betting has some great groundwork for legalization. Since other states have been paving the way, there are also some great established online sports betting sites to potentially open in CA. Though California online sports betting is currently all offshore and unregulated, bettor’s look forward to potential future California online sportsbooks. In addition to serving a purpose for vested CA bettors, legalizing CA online sports betting also stands to bring in tons of tax revenue for the state. A win win solution for the state!

The California Legalize Sports Betting Amendment was not on the ballot in California as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 3, 2020.

The ballot measure would have authorized sports betting, including online or mobile sports betting, in California. The ballot measure would have allowed tribal casinos and licensed horseracing tracks to operate sports betting. The ballot measure would have also authorized licensed gambling establishments to offer games played with cards or tiles in which participants wager against each other.^[1]

The ballot measure would have taxed on-site sports betting at 10 percent of gross revenue and online sports betting at 15 percent of gross revenue.^[1]

• 1Text of measure

Text of measure

Constitutional changes

See also: Article IV, California Constitution

The measure would have amended Section 19 of Article IV of the California Constitution.^[1]

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the California Constitution

In California, a two-thirds vote is needed in each chamber of the California State Legislature to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot for voter consideration.

Is Sports Betting Illegal In California

The constitutional amendment was introduced into the California State Legislature as Senate Constitutional Amendment 6 (SCA 6) on June 27, 2019. On June 22, 2020, Sen. Bill Dodd, the amendment's lead legislative sponsor, requested that hearings on SCA 6 be canceled.^[1] Sen. Dodd said, 'Given the deadlines for getting a measure on the November ballot and the impact of COVID-19 on the public’s ability to weigh in, we were not able to get the bill across the finish line this year. It remains important that we lift this widespread practice out of the shadows to make it safer and to generate money for the people of California. I will continue to be engaged in the issue as we work toward 2022.'^[2]

See also

External links

Footnotes

Online Gambling In California

1. ↑ ^1.01.11.21.3California State Legislature, 'Senate Concurrent Resolution 6,' accessed June 8, 2020
2. ↑SBC Americas, 'California sports betting bill pulled over tribal opposition,' June 23, 2020