Is Sports Betting Legal In California?

Legal gambling in California includes tribal casinos, commercial cardrooms, the state lottery, parimutuel wagering and charitable gaming. Meanwhile, daily fantasy sports aren’t regulated in California but the games can be offered.

DFS products from FanDuel and DraftKings, for example, are allowed in California. However, traditional sports betting from the two companies isn’t allowed in the Golden State.

Tribal Casinos

California gambling law prohibits land-based commercial casinos. However, Indian reservations are sovereign territories, so they aren’t subject to the prohibition. Casinos in California are owned and operated by Native American tribes.

Tribal casinos dominate much of California’s land-based gambling industry, generating more than $8 billion in annual gaming revenue, according to the American Gaming Association.

As such, the tribes have a large influence over gambling expansion.

Cardrooms

California cardrooms often call themselves “casinos,” but there are critical differences between these businesses and California’s tribal casinos. As the name implies, cardrooms feature card games.

Cardrooms can’t legally offer house-banked table games. California cardrooms can offer poker legally, but you won’t find slots at these locations.

According to the California Gaming Association, “California cardrooms range in size from small businesses with one to two tables, to the largest cardroom in the world [Commerce Casino] with 270 tables.”

Pari-mutuel

California legalized pari-mutuel betting in 1933, making horse races one of the longest-running gambling options.

There are four racetracks accepting bets in California. California also has off-track locations and a handful of legal online horse race betting apps. FanDuel Racing accepts bets in California.