If the gambling industry must settle for state-by-state legalization, California represents the Holy Grail of online betting in the united states. It’s the most populous country in the union with a $2 trillion market that could rank number 8 in the world if it was its own country. International gambling sites have gone out of the way to acquire licenses in countries much smaller than California.
All eyes are on California as states mull legalizing a variety of forms of online gambling. If California does ever go the method of legalization, it would by default become the standard by which gambling has been measured in the USA. If the state does eventually dominate gambling and it is successful, other states will surely follow suit. We may even see something finally happen at the federal level.
Different pieces of legislation have been released, shot down and reintroduced in the past several decades. We don’t have anything major to report yet, but many observers are cautiously optimistic that California will sooner or later make a significant move toward legalization. Here is why:
The state already has a pro-gambling culture The state has legal casinos and card rooms
It’s home to many Indian tribes That Are experienced in gaming California has a spending problem and the potential tax revenues must surely be tempting for state lawmakers
Present Collection of Betting Sites in California
We’ll go over the different gaming choices in California in greater detail below, but I’d like to begin with a fast list of gambling sites which are available right now in California. If you came here looking for a place to bet online, these are the sites which will let you play with and wager real money today.
Sports Gambling:
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Fantasy Sports:
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Horse and Greyhound Betting:
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Online Lottery Tickets:
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Games of Skill:
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Sports Betting in California
Lawmakers in California have shown some interest in legalizing sports gambling of late. A bill introduced at the 2017/18 session proposed amending existing gambling legislation to permit the California legislature to authorize sports betting determined by the Supreme Court overturning the federal sports betting ban (which it did).
ACA 18 itself didn’t seek to legalize wagering; it rather provided a constitutional amendment that would enable lawmakers to legalize and regulate sports betting later on. After he introduced the bill, Assemblyman Adam Gray stated,”The choice is not’if we have sports wagering or not possess sports wagering.’ We do have sports wagering.”
The point he was making is that sports gambling is already a huge black market in California and across the USA. The American Gaming Association quotes Americans wager at least $154 billion each year on sports with internet sportsbooks and local bookies contrary to the law. The present condition prohibition isn’t functioning, the logic goes, so the wise thing to do is legalize it, regulate it and tax it.
A report from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming published in 2017 believes California is likely to legalize sports gambling in five years from the date of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn PASPA. California has lots of potential to turn into a major sports gambling market, but as you’ll read in the next segment, competing interests in the state have a propensity to complicate things.
Assemblyman Gray introduced the exact same legislation again in 2018 and 2019 as he continues to push the situation. Finding the tribal groups on board has been exceedingly difficult as they control an $8 billion gaming industry and are highly reluctant to get on board with sports gambling at risk of starting their lucrative compacts with the state to negotiation once more.
Online Poker at California
The pursuit for internet poker in California has been fought in the courtrooms because you read these words. Bills seeking to regulate internet poker have been introduced every year since 2007. None of these bills have made it all of the way through the legislative process because of vying factions on either side of the issue, but every year brings us closer to finding an arrangement that satisfied all parties that are interested.
In fact, a lot of the problem can be attributed to rival interests in the nation. It seems everyone has an agenda and it is difficult to find consensus among the Indian tribes, Cuban operators and present online brands. One group or another always feels left out or targeted by the wording of legislation. And to be fair, that is often a valid concern.
To add to the problem, there are still powerful lobbying groups that actively combat the legalization of poker or any other kind of online gambling in the US. Casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson has vowed to fight legalization across the nation. In California alone, he spent more than $300,000 to lobby against poker.
Not a single one of those bills introduced over the previous decade-plus has made considerable progress due to the many competing interests in the state. The next bill is Only One of many efforts to make something happen in California, but it serves as a Normal example of how complex and difficult it is to make progress in California:
AB 2291: Promising Start but Died in Committee
Meeting Bill 2291 was introduced back in February 2014 but not made it beyond the committee period. It was reintroduced in 2015 and 2016, but was still unable to gain the traction it needed to make it far in the legislative procedure.
The bill sought to legalize online poker just and issue 10-year permits . The proposed fee for licensing has been originally set at $5,000,000, with this fee being used to offset future taxes. Lawmakers bumped that fee up several times until the fee hit a high of $12,500,000 without offsetting taxes.
Early versions of AB 2291 included several clauses that have caused tension between various factions competing for a part of the poker pie. Most contentious among these is a”bad actor” clause. AB 2291 initially sought to require prospective licensees to have at least five decades of gaming experience in California. Additionally, it required every facet of a procedure, from its own employees to its gear to its bank account to be held in state.
In essence, AB 2291 could have prevented all of present internet poker suppliers and newer neighborhood casinos in California from competing. The wording of the bill very clearly favored a few recognized California casino classes at the expense of fair competition.
Another problem with AB 2291 was that it might have banned California from entering agreements with other nations to combine player pools and enhance liquidity. In other words, you’d only see other Californians in the table however many sates legalize poker. To top it off, the bill would require the state to determine of any legislation passed at the federal level allowing online poker.
Some progress was made in 2016 with a suggested amendment which would significantly alter the lousy actor clause. Previously, the bill would have barred all online poker companies that functioned after the passing of the federal Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. Such limitations would have prohibited established brand for example PokerStars from entering the marketplace.
The previous amendment proposes to instead move the cut-off date for the bad celebrity clause up towards the end of 2011. In other words, sites like PokerStars that functioned after the UIGEA but left the marketplace following the Black Friday indictments at 2011. This could prevent the most egregious violators from entering the sector but manage PokerStars an opportunity to offer online poker legally in California. You can read more about the suggestion here.
Looking back in 2018: The Good and Bad
The Poor Lawmakers and tribal groups are stuck in stalemate for about four years now. It’s nice to see some improvement on this front, but it’s also discouraging to see that the outright stubbornness on the part of varying factions. Poker players will be better served by an open and competitive marketplace and player-sharing arrangements with other states.
Worse than that, online poker appears to have taken a step back in 2018. For the first time in over a decade, no invoices trying to legalize online poker were introduced. Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sayer told Online Poker Report that he’s giving up on online poker laws for this year since there is just no improvement being made in reaching a compromise between the tribes, local card rooms and other interested parties.
The Great There are a number of positive things to say about all this. If poker is really legalized in California, the potential player pool will much larger than what we’ve seen in other nations that have already legalized online poker. Aside from the fact that 38 million people call California home, the country has a poker civilization already as a result of its many brick-and-mortar card rooms.
California is very likely to have fewer issues with geolocation of players because of the sheer size. New Jersey had all kinds of problems verifying players were really located within the state. This ended up with loads of potential players being unfairly barred from the state-sanctioned sites there. California doesn’t need to contend with congested cities piled up on state borders.
Fantasy Sports
When the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed in 2006, it supplied two noteworthy exceptions to online gaming: horse racing and fantasy sports. The UIGEA didn’t just exempt those kinds of gambling; it essentially gave operators the go-ahead to offer their games to clients right here in the US.
Some states have since passed legislation banning online fantasy sports but California is not one of these. If you have a thing for sports betting but would rather do it at a protected and regulated manner, fantasy sports is your way to go. You draft a team just like in regular dream leagues except now you get paid real cash if you win.
FanDuel.com and DraftKings.com are the two biggest players in this market. They both accept customers from CA and offer single-day fantasy leagues such as the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, college basketball and college football.
One of the nice things about online fantasy sports is every competition only lasts for a day per week at the most. You are not stuck with one group all season. Instead, your team stands up stats over the course of a single week. It’s possible to play in heads-up contests against other gamers or test your ability in massive tournaments that sometimes give more than a million bucks to the first place winner.
You may read more about fantasy sports gambling here.
Legislative Efforts for Daily Fantasy at California
2016 was a significant year for its daily fantasy sports industry in California. In January of 2016, lawmakers introduced AB 1437 in an attempt to create a regulatory framework for everyday fantasy sports websites. If enacted, the bill would need DFS sites to acquire a permit, apply a minimum age of 21 for many clients, maintain all clients’ funds in a segregated account and extend self-exclusion programs for problem gamblers.
The bill advanced previous three important votes by a total of 101 for and two against. This is an important bill for California and it appears increasingly likely to be passed to law. On the other hand, the bill itself will not really legalize online fantasy sports competitions; it only places the states by which the business would be regulated.
California Attorney General Kamala Harris is expected to issue a ruling on whether fantasy competitions constitute illegal gambling under state law. If she principles favorably, AB 1437 will have all set up to license and regulated dream sites instantly. The AG’s judgment was anticipated for more than a year today. In the meantime, California fantasy sports websites continue to operate freely.
As of 2019, progress on the bill appears to have fully stalled. The good news is fantasy sports sites continue to be active throughout the state. Legalizing fantasy sports in California would basically be a formality now.
Online Casinos
There are not any online casinos in California. The state hasn’t even attempted to pass laws in this regard so it will likely be years before we see legitimate gambling sites open to CA residents.
Don’t be fooled by the countless different websites which are currently recommending”legal” internet casinos. All these are actually offshore gambling sites without any legal presence whatsoever in the United States. They’re unlicensed and completely unregulated.
Although to be fair, there aren’t any state or national laws which prohibit playing offshore casinos. If you do decide to play with online, nobody will come kick in your front door. The largest risk is financial — you never know for sure who you’re dealing with on the other side of the screen. Some offshore casinos could be safe while others are clearly outright scams. But no matter where you play, you have no legal recourse if things go belly up.
Your very best option is to look at some of the other authorized, accredited and safe forms of betting that are available right now in California. Between horse racing, fantasy sports and most likely online poker very soon, there are still plenty of other ways to play real money games online at safe, accredited websites based in the US.
Horse Betting
Online horse racing is alive and well in California. The horse betting situation here isn’t nearly as complicated as the poker situation. California does allow residents to play US-licensed horse wagering websites such as TwinSpires, BetAmerica and TVG.
All the significant US-based horse gambling sites accept customers from California. The country also allows off-track betting (OTB) facilities. OTB facilities operate as brick-and-mortar betting shops where people can walk in, put bets on races and collect their winnings in person.
Five racetracks run upon the state and they also allow for real money wagering. In total, you are able to bet online at any of the horse gambling websites, off-track with an OTB location or on site at some of the tracks listed below. California is also home to county and state fairs that hold races at various times every year.
The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) oversees all horse racing and wagering inside the country. The CHRB’s mission is to ensure the integrity, ethics and safety of the state’s horse racing industry. They manage wagering, breeding, physical security as well as the promotion of horse racing.
California Racetracks
CalExpo:
The California Exposition and State Fair operates a year-round harness racetrack that runs every day at approximately 5:20 PM.
1600 Exposition Drive
Sacramento, CA 95815
Site Golden Gate Fields
This track is located in Berkley with races and simulcast events every week.
1100 Eastshore Highway
Berkley, CA 94710
Website Santa Anita
Santa Anita is one of the most widely recognized racetracks from the USA and home to major events such as the Santa Anita Derby, Santa Anita Handicap and occasionally the Breeder’s Cup.
285 W. Huntington Drive
Arcadia, CA 91007
Website Del Mar
Del Mar started in 1937 with a famous race between Seabiscuit and Ligaroti. Seabiscuit hardly took the race became a legend of his own. Now, Del Mar plays host to racing festivals, events, family fun days and more.
2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd..
Del Mar, CA 92014
Website Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos Race Course is home to daytime thoroughbred racing and nighttime quarter racing. The trail is home to a number of the greatest quarter horse stakes races in the US.
4961 E. Katella Ave.
Los Alamitos, CA 90720
Website OTB Locations
There are 31 off-track betting centers in California. OTB centers are found at fairgrounds, racetracks, specialty OTB shops, casinos and fairgrounds. You can see a full list of locations and addresses here.
Internet Bingo
There appears to be no motive to specifically legalize online bingo in California. The only realistic chance I see of online bingo coming to California is whether it gets caught up in some future internet casino legislation.
Lottery Games
Ca lottoThe California state lottery is not licensed to sell tickets online or via phone. For years, the federal Wire Act prohibited states from selling lottery tickets on the internet. This might not be the case forever. In 2009, New York and Illinois asked the Department of Justice to explain its position on the Wire Act and explain exactly which types of online gambling were illegal.
The DOJ responded in 2011 with a decision that’d far-reaching consequences beyond just the lottery. In September of 2011, the DOJ issued an announcement the official interpretation of the Wire Act only applies to sports gambling over the internet. This gave states the go-ahead to sell tickets online if they select.
Lottery Subscription Websites California hasn’t yet joined the growing list of countries that sell lottery tickets on the web. However, there are a range of messenger services which can go buy lottery tickets at face value for a monthly subscription fee. You can log into those sites, pay face value for your tickets and then the company is going to go and purchase tickets on your title.
For instance, LottoGopher.com is a California-based membership site that offers this exact service. The website is registered in California, its owners are background-checked by lottery commission officials and it abides by all federal and state legislation. They aren’t legally allowed to sell lotto tickets for more than face value, so that they rather charge users a subscription fee.
A membership at LottoGopher lets you buy tickets online, select specific amounts and even form lottery pools along with different members. Should you win less than $600, Lotto Gopher will charge the winnings to your account that you may then withdraw right to the bank. If you win more than $600, Lotto Gopher will claim the prize on your behalf in person then send you a check for the full amount.
The site doesn’t require a cut of your winnings. They only way that they make money is by charging customers a flat subscription fee. At this moment, LottoGopher is only available in California. You can learn more and give it a try here:
www.lottogopher.com
lotto gopher
Is Lotto Gopher untrue?
Yes. They are based in California and say lottery officials know who they are. It’s great that you ask though because there are a ton of online lotto sites which feel and look untrue but are not. Lotto Gopher really is legal and 100% legit.
They have been all over the press in the past few decades as well. Forbes and ABC have written articles regarding the support.
Read more: newyork-info.com