Sports Betting in California - Is Sports Betting Legal?

Can I bet on sports in California?

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 neighbouring state, but there is another option for bettors that requires no travel time. As of today, there are four different initiatives that have gained access to the November 2022 ballot or are in the process of gaining access depending on verified signatures.

A Brief Timeline of the Legality of California Sports Betting

• November 8, 2022 - The General Election in the United States and local elections in California with local measures such as the Draft Kings, FanDuel and BetMGM-backed measure for legalizing sports betting in California and a competing measure from the California Native Tribes - both measures collected enough signatures to be on the ballot.
• May 17, 2022 - The Golden State Warriors are the only California team left in either NBA and NHL playoffs. The Edmonton Oilers eliminated The Los Angeles Kings in 7 games, and Dallas Mavericks beat Phoenix Sun also in 7 games. Mavericks and Warriors will now battle for the Western Conference title and the ticket to the 2022 NBA Finals against the winner of Eastern Conference Finals, Miami Heat or Boston Celtics.
• April 15, 2022 - California voters get their opportunity to legalize sports betting in November, when the California Native Tribes' measure is on the ballot. This would legalize dice games and sports betting at Native American-operated casinos.
• March 8, 2022 - A lawsuit to invalidate a retail sport betting ballot proposal has been filed because the Supreme Court declined to hear it.
• February 25, 2022 - Over a fifth of California voters are undecided on sports betting, according to a survey from UC Berkeley. At least one sports betting option will be on November’s ballot.
• February 9, 2022 - Three tribes are looking to bring forward a sportsbook-backed ballot initiative to put mobile sports betting on the November ballot. 
• January 18, 2022 - The fight to control sports betting in California gets picked up by an article in the New York Times.
• December 29, 2021 - A pair of California card rooms tried to stop one of the many sports betting initiatives for 2022, via a lawsuit. 
• October 19, 2021 - Four leading California mayors voice their support for the ballot, forcing citizens to vote on sports betting in California. 
• August 13, 2021 - One of the three sports betting initiatives for November 2022 faces a tough test to get passed. The California Sports Wagering and Consumer Protection Act must collect 997,139 signatures by April 2022 to be validated for the vote.
• May 28, 2021 - California voters will decide on sports betting at tribal casinos in 2022. The ballot will pose the question of allowing the tribes to offer roulette, craps, and sports betting onsite, though online sports betting will not feature in the proposal. 

Legal Sports Betting in California

Online sportsbooks are a great option for Californian residents because they do not break any state laws, are easy to use and the top sportsbooks are safe and secure. Sportsbooks like Bovada and BetUS offer competitive odds and bonuses that will keep loyal bettors happy.

Online sportsbooks can tide over sports bettors until the legalization evidently arrives, whether it’s 2021 or later, you can still get in on the action.

California Sports Betting Timeline

The progress with legal sports betting in California has been a relatively short journey. Here's how things broke down over the years.

First progress with the amendment in 2020

Within days of the PASPA ruling, California Assemblymember Adam Gray announced his desire for a pro-sports betting amendment. Shortly after, California State Senator Bill Dodd joined the movement, planning to shape a bill for inclusion on the November ballot. The first sports betting hearing in California was held in January 2020, and it didn’t seem promising in terms of approval in 2020 at least.

Other states have a different approach towards sports betting. You can check the full list of US states here.

It’s projected that sports betting in California could be worth $2.5 billion per year (including online betting revenue) in California - which is wild to think that there is even an ounce of hesitation from elected officials. There are a number of great sportsbooks near Los Angeles operating today, which provide a great range of betting markets and very competitive odds.

An initiative backed by 18 Native American tribes wants to limit sports betting to physical casinos and racetracks and banning online gambling in California. This is not a shared viewpoint with Dodd and Gray.

2021 and looking forward

It’s assumed that sports betting won’t be legalized until 2021 at this rate with the COVID-19 pandemic slowing down much of the world, so Californian sports bettors still have a little way to go before they can legally bet on sports in Californian casinos or sportsbooks.

Currently, gambling in the state is regulated and limited to card rooms, tribal casinos, the state lottery, horse racing, and charitable gaming. California has 69 Native American casinos, hosting 70,000 slot machines and more than two thousand table games.

The California State lottery includes Mega Millions and Powerball, which is always well received.

Horse racing is a big deal in California – the home of Del Mar, Hollywood Park and Santa Anita, making horse betting a huge revenue stream left untapped.

So, what does all of this mean? Californian residents love to bet and legal sports betting in California will open up new jobs and significant revenue streams for the Californian government.

California Casinos

There are 69 Native American Tribal Casinos in the state of California - all of which could host sports betting in the near future. We've split the list by county:

Amador County

Harrah’s Northern California - Amador County

Jackson Rancheria Casino - Amador County

Butte County

Feather Falls Casino - Butte County

Gold Country Casino & Hotel - Butte County

Colusa County

Colusa Casino Resort - Colusa County

Contra Costa County

San Pablo Lytton Casino - Contra Costa County

Del Norte County

Elk Valley Casino - Del Norte County

Lucky 7 Casino - Del Norte County

Eldorado County

Redhawk Casino - El Dorado County

Fresno County

Mono Wind Casino - Fresno County

Table Mountain Casino - Fresno County

Humboldt County

Bear River Casino - Humboldt County

Blue Lake Casino - Humboldt County

Lucky Bear Casino - Humboldt County

Cher-Ae Heights Bingo & Casino - Humboldt County

Imperial County

Torres Martinez Casino - Imperial County

Quechan Resort Casino - Imperial County

Red Earth Casino - Imperial County

Inyo County

Paiute Palace Casino - Inyo County

Kings County

Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino - Kings County

Lake County

Robinson Rancheria Resort and Casino - Lake County

Konocti Vista Casino - Lake Count

Twin Pine Casino - Lake County

Lassen County

Diamond Mountain Casino - Lassen County

Madera County

Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino - Madera County

Mendocino County

Black Bart Casino - Mendocino County

Shodokai Casino - Mendocino County

Sho-Ka-Wah Casino - Mendocino County

Red Fox County - Mendocino County

Modoc County

Desert Rose Casino - Modoc County

Placer County

Thunder Valley Casino - Placer County

Riverside County

Agua Caliente Casino - Riverside County

Augustine Casino - Riverside County

Cahuilla Creek Casino - Riverside County

Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino - Riverside County

Morongo Casino - Riverside County

Pechanga Resort & Casino - Riverside County

Soboba Casino - Riverside County

Spa Resort and Casino - Riverside County

Spotlight 29 Casino - Riverside County

San Bernardino

Tortoise Rock Casino - San Bernardino

Havasu Landing Resort and Casino - San Bernardino

San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino - San Bernardino

San Diego

Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino - San Diego

Casino Pauma - San Diego

La Jolla Slot Arcade - San Diego

La Posta Casino - San Diego

Golden Acorn Casino - San Diego

Harrah’s Southern California - San Diego

Jamul Casino - San Diego

Pala Casino Resort & Spa - San Diego

Santa Ysabel Resort & Casino - San Diego

Sycuan Resort and Casino - San Diego

Valley View Casino - San Diego

Viejas Casino - San Diego

Santa Barbara

Chumash Casino Resort - Santa Barbara

Shasta County

Win-River Casino - Shasta County

Pit River Casino - Shasta County

Sonoma County

Graton Resort and Casino - Sonoma County

River Rock Casino - Sonoma County

Tehama County

Rolling Hills Casino - Tehama County

Tulare County

Eagle Mountain Casino - Tulare County

Tuolumne County

Chicken Ranch Bingo & Casino - Tuolumne County

Black Oak Casino - Tuolumne County

Yolo County

Cache Creek Casino - Yolo County

Yuba County

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Yuba County

Betting on California Sports Teams

Host to 18 professional sports teams, the most of any state by 8, California has a huge sports following, and plenty of options regardless of which sport you enjoy.

With three NFL teams, The LA Rams, LA Chargers, and San Francisco 49ers, it would be hard to choose a team to root for every Sunday if you live in California! The former Oakland Raiders, now based in Las Vegas but still boasting a big Californian fan base, have won the Super Bowl three times, and the 49ers have five wins. The Rams and Chargers are newly relocated to Los Angeles within the past few years, formerly the San Diego Chargers and the St. Louis Rams.

The NBA also has four teams based out of California. The dominant Golden State Warriors are currently the state’s pride and joy, winning three of the last four NBA Finals. The other teams, the Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers are all living in the Warriors shadows, though the Lakers might be on their way to a title soon.

California is home to five MLB teams, the Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, and the San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers have won five World Series titles in LA, the Athletics have won four, and the Angels only won one back in 2002. There is no shortage of ball games for sports fans to bet on in the summer months!

The National Hockey League boasts three Californian teams: the Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks, and San Jose Sharks. The Kings were crowned Stanley Cup Champions twice in 2012 and 2014, the Ducks in 2007 and the Sharks have made it to the big show, but were unsuccessful in taking home Lord Stanley.

In addition to all of these professional sports, there are many collegiate teams that play out of California including 11 division I college football teams, and 16 division I college basketball teams.

Top Online Sportsbooks for California

For new bettors looking to dip their toes in on an online sportsbook, we have great sportsbook reviews that can help you find a safe, secure, and easy-to-use place to bet on sports. Our reviews were compiled by experts and are honest because they use these sportsbooks themselves. Criteria reviewed include deposit options, bonuses, betting app, odds selection, sports offerings, and more.

Legal Sports Betting States