California Online Betting Laws

The United States has some of the most confusing gambling laws in the world.

1. California Online Betting Legal
2. Is Online Betting Illegal In California

1. No law in California directly addresses the question of online gambling legality. California law hasn’t quite caught up to technology. This is a common condition in America, and it leads to a lot of confusion among players of Web-based gambling games.
2. California has attempted to legalize online gambling in the state multiple times. California has legalized daily fantasy sports, however, DFS has the distinction of not being classified as online betting. Despite some progress on the issue, the attempts to legalize online sports betting hasn’t become reality.
3. As a result, anyone visiting California during 2020 may be unsure of the status of online gambling laws in the Golden State. Although the Supreme Court ruling of a couple of years ago opened the door for legalized sports betting in the US, many states have been slow to make progress.

California Online Gambling Laws and History No laws prohibit, ban, or regulate online gambling in California. Residents are not arrested or prosecuted for gambling online. California requires residents to be 18 years of age to play the lottery.

As each state is allowed to set its own rules and regulations, this means laws can be different from town to town if there is a state border between them. It sounds strange to outsiders, but this is how America works.

As a result, anyone visiting California during 2020 may be unsure of the status of online gambling laws in the Golden State.

Although the Supreme Court ruling of a couple of years ago opened the door for legalized sports betting in the US, many states have been slow to make progress.

Read on for the ultimate tourist guide to online gambling laws in California.

What types of gambling are allowed in California in 2020?

California Online Betting Legal

As mentioned, online gambling rules in America are in something of a state of flux. A number of states are pressing forward with changes to their own rules, but as of yet California is not on this list. This is despite California facing a major budget shortfall due to the coronavirus crisis.

It is estimated legalizing online gambling in California could result in millions of dollars a year in revenues being raised, in a similar way to when the state gave the green light to cannabis sales.

With many bricks and mortar casinos having to close due to the global pandemic, it also seems strange that people have not been able to play games like poker and blackjack online instead.

As it stands, the California State Lottery, cardrooms and bricks and mortar casinos are among the forms of gambling that are legal in California right now. It is not allowed to run commercial casino-style gaming in California, though Native American casinos operate in the Golden State.

The multi-state Powerball and Mega Millions are available to play through the state lottery, giving people in the state a chance to win what would undoubtedly be a life-changing amount of money.

Non-banked card games such as poker have always been legal to play in California, which helps to explain why cardrooms are so popular in this part of America. Parimutuel wagering on horse racing is also permitted at the time of writing in California. However, this is only the case when this betting takes place at California’s racetracks and satellite wagering facilities.

It is also permitted to gamble at home in California, though this is not likely to be useful for those who are visiting the Golden State on a holiday this year. The rules regarding at-home gambling forbid games where the host takes a cut of the money that is wagered, however.

What about online gambling rules in California?

Laws in California do not permit online gambling right now, but things could change in the future. It is expected that a lot of states, perhaps including California, will change their rules and regulations regarding online gambling within the course of the next few years.

So while regulation could allow you to play at online sites, at the moment it is not legal to do so, though in reality prosecutions for this simply do not happen. There is also nothing to stop people who are in California from accessing online gambling sites based in other parts of America.

However, it is worth pointing out that players would potentially be taking a risk by using online casino sites that are not licensed and regulated in the Golden State.

One of the reasons why online gambling has not yet been legalized in California is that the existing cardrooms and bricks and mortar casinos that operate in the state are against such a move. This is naturally due to the suspicion online gambling sites would affect how many people visit their facilities, perhaps rendering their businesses outdated and irrelevant.

It was initially planned to have a sports betting measure on the ballot for this November but plans to make this a reality fell through earlier in the year. State senator Bill Dodd confirmed time had run out with the negotiations not able to have been completed in time.

“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,” he said.

Online gambling laws in California will surely change sooner rather than later. But it is not going to be in 2020, so tourists visiting the Golden State this year might need to use other options.

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Gambling is a multi-billion dollar industry in the U.S. but to protect gamblers, casinos, and tax revenue, states like California are always tightening their gaming laws and regulations to ensure honest gambling. According to the California Gambling Control Commission, a regulatory body that establishes laws in card rooms, tribal casinos, and player services, the goal for California gambling is to remove any corrupt or criminal elements from gaming.

Regulated gambling includes horse racing, online slots for California players, lotteries, card games, bingo, and any game of chance played within a casino or off-site betting facility. Laws, while people under a certain age may disagree, are essential to keep intact in order for states to generate tax revenue from gambling.

In California, lotteries are pari-mutuel betting (i.e. horse racing) and are open to people aged 18 or up. The same goes for charity bingo events and pull-tabs. Slot machine gambling and casino games vary, though 21 and up is standard. Gamblers are allowed to gamble in Indian casinos at 18, though many of them bump the age requirement to 21 because they serve alcohol on the floor. This policy is enforced because of liquor licenses and that carding at tables can take away from the experience for other gamblers.

In essence, states have almost complete control over the gambling that takes place within their borders. Online gambling, however, is still largely unregulated throughout the entire country.

New Jersey, like Nevada and Delaware, is undergoing a legalized online gambling trial run in six Atlantic City casinos. The state experienced a major decline in gambling revenue over the past few years, and the potential gains from online gambling can buffer the state’s checkbooks that support education, infrastructure, and state-wide programs.

Online gambling is considered unregulated because it is not currently allowed to be hosted by California-based casinos. Instead, gamblers are able to utilize off-shore websites for sports betting, table games, and other gambling. The term “unregulated,” however, should not be viewed negatively; in fact, online gamblers in the U.S. are protected because of international gaming laws. The end user never experiences any negatives.

Is Online Betting Illegal In California

State-ordained online gambling is usually fronted by casinos with Web-partnerships. Others invest into their own online platforms; regardless, regulated in-state online gambling can generate billions of dollars in gambling revenue every year. Currently, states with tight gambling laws or that outright disallow gambling encourage in-state residents to travel to out-of-state casinos. These dollars, instead of going from the gambler’s pocket to the house and back to the state, are matriculated into the host-state’s revenue.

One of the major holdups to regulated online gambling in California is the cost of a licensing fee. There have been a number of senator-proposed fees, ranging from $5-15 million. Eligibility is another issue, though as other states begin to implement Web-gambling regulations, California will likely follow suit.

Compromise is key for California legislators. Most regulatory bodies agree that online gambling is a healthy way to generate in-state revenue; deciding on the finer points, such as licensing fees, requirements, and licensing terms, is delaying the process. For now, gamblers should be satisfied with California’s moderate gaming laws (compared to other parts of the country) and look forward to regulated online gambling in 2014.