California Gambling Laws
This guide breaks down the various California gambling laws. We will explain which forms of gambling are permitted and prohibited and delve into the key legal developments that have shaped the modern California gambling industry.
What kinds of gambling are legal in California?
Several forms of gambling are legal in California. We have examined each option below and explained the current legal situation.
Sweepstakes/social casinos ✔️
McLuck, and Pulsz.
These sites allow you to play games with two sweepstakes coin currencies:
- Gold Coins, which have no monetary value.
- Sweeps Coins, which can be redeemed for cash prizes if you win.
When you play with Sweeps Coins, you are essentially participating in legal sweepstakes, rendered in the form of slots and table games. Regulations from the California Department of Justice state that legitimate sweepstakes must be “free and by chance.” It is illegal for the sponsor to “require you to buy something or pay to enter to increase your odds of winning.”
That means you cannot buy Sweeps Coins. You can only earn them for free via bonuses, by writing to the company and asking for them to be credited to your , or as a free gift if you purchase Gold Coins.
You can only use them to play games of chance, such as slots and table games, and not on games of skill. If you complete a playthrough requirement on the Sweeps Coins, you can redeem them for gift cards or cash prizes.
Online casinos ❌
California online casinos have not been legalized in the state. You cannot play online slots, table games, video poker, or live dealer games for real money.
Prominent tribal leaders in California have stated that online casinos.
Retail casinos ✔️
According to the American Gaming Association, there are more than 80 tribal casinos in California. These casinos over 180,000 jobs and have an annual economic impact of $34.56 billion.
These tribal casinos operate under the authority of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which was enacted in 1988. That federal law provides a statutory basis for the regulation of casino games on tribal lands.
In March 2000, California voters approved Proposition 1A, which amended the California Constitution to permit Class III (Las Vegas-style casino) gaming on tribal lands.
Each tribe has signed a gaming compact with the state of California and must adhere to the of those compacts. The California Tribal Gaming Agencies, the Bureau of Gambling Control, and the California Gambling Control Commission work together to oversee the state’s tribal casinos.
Tribal casinos can offer slot machines, card games like blackjack and baccarat, bingo halls, and poker rooms. However, they cannot offer traditional roulette and craps games, although some offer card-based versions of those games.
Online poker ❌
WSOP Online in the Golden State.
However, you can play at social poker rooms like Clubs Poker. They allow you to compete in tournaments and ring games using Gold Coins or Sweeps Coins.
Cardrooms ✔️
Cardrooms are legal in California. They cannot host slot machines, but they do host poker tournaments, poker games, and card games like blackjack, EZ Baccarat, and 3 Card Poker.
The California Gambling Control Commission regulates these cardrooms. They operate under the authority of the Gambling Control Act (Chapter 867, statutes of 1997).
The California Constitution does not allow cardrooms to accept wagers from customers. They get around this prohibition by contracting third-party companies to serve as the “house” or the “bank.”
Employees of these third-party contractors will generally sit at the card tables next to a cardroom employee who deals the card. The dealers must periodically offer players the chance to act as the bank, but customers typically decline. The cardroom collects fees from each game.
Tribal casinos are planning a consolidated lawsuit against cardrooms and their service providers for collaborating to offer table games like blackjack in California.
Some of these cardrooms are small operations with just a handful of tables, whereas venues like Commerce Casino & Hotel in Los Angeles are huge.
Since 1995, there has been a moratorium on new cardrooms. It ended in 2023, but Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law reinstating it until 2043.
Online sports betting ❌
California voters rejected the chance to legalize online sports wagering when they headed to the ballot boxes in November 2022. Proposition 27, which would have legalized online and in-person sports betting across the Golden State, received just 1,906,339 “yes” votes, compared to 8,849,200 “no” votes.
The country’s leading online sportsbooks, including FanDuel and DraftKings, were behind the campaign to legalize online sports betting in California. However, they faced fierce opposition from the state’s powerful Native American tribes, who feared that online sportsbooks would jeopardize the income they receive from their tribal casinos.
Tribal casinos launched a separate ballot measure, Proposition 26, which would have only legalized in-person sports betting at tribal casinos and racetracks. The opposing groups spent around $460 million promoting their measures and discrediting the rival measures in high-profile ad campaigns.
Voters were confused by the war of words and overwhelmingly rejected both measures.
Retail sports betting ❌
Retail sports betting is not legal in California. Both Proposition 26 and Proposition 27 would have legalized in-person sports betting at tribal casinos, but Californians voted “no” to both ballot measures in November 2022.
Retail sports betting is not legal in California. Both Proposition 26 and Proposition 27 would have legalized in-person sports betting at tribal casinos, but Californians voted “no” to both ballot measures in November 2022.
However, tribal leaders in California have itted an “urgency to move gaming online.” The online sportsbooks now recognize that “tribal sovereignty around gaming is sacrosanct,” so they will not oppose the tribes again. As such, online sports betting is expected to eventually be rolled out in California, with the tribes at the heart of the industry.
Horse racing ✔️
Pari-mutuel betting on horse racing is legal in California. In November 1933, voters approved Proposition 3, which created the California Horse Racing Board to license and regulate horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering.
That amended the California Constitution, allowing racetracks to take pari-mutuel bets, such as the win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, and so on. Pari-mutuel wagering is available at racetracks such as Santa Anita and Del Mar.
Online racebooks, known as advance deposit wagering sites, are also legal. The California Horse Racing Board authorized advance deposit wagering in 2002. Californians can choose from several regulated sites, including TVG and TwinSpires.
Lottery ✔️
California voters authorized a state lottery when they voted “yes” on Proposition 37 in November 1984. That led to the age of the California State Lottery Act, which created a five-member commission to oversee the California Lottery.
The first scratchers went on sale in October 1985, and the inaugural weekly draw game began 12 months later. Games hosted by the California Lottery include Mega Millions, Super Lotto Plus, Fantasy 5, Daily 4, Daily 3, Daily Derby, and a wide variety of scratchers.
California ed Powerball in April 2013, broadening the range of options available to lottery players in the state.
Online lottery ❌
California online lottery does not offer internet lottery (iLottery) games in the Golden State. However, a San Francisco-based company called Mido Lotto offers lottery courier services in California.
Players can order tickets via the Mido Lotto site or the app, and a staff member will purchase tickets on your behalf at a licensed lottery retailer. While this is a quick and convenient option, you will be charged a “convenience fee” of 20% of the ticket price, so it is not particularly cost-effective.
DFS ✔️
Daily fantasy sports (DFS) apps accept players in California. The Golden State has never legalized DFS contests but has never prohibited them, so they operate in a legal gray area.
California receives more DFS entries than any other state. However, the tribes are pushing for DFS apps and sites to be banned.
They are particularly concerned about the emergence of sites and apps offering pick’em contests, such as Underdog and PrizePicks. Those pick’em contests are similar to sports betting and have been banned in several states.
Bingo ✔️
Bingo games are legal in California. Tribal casinos are permitted to host bingo under the of their gaming compacts.
Charities can also host bingo under the authority of the California Constitution, Article IV, Section 19. Voters approved a constitutional amendment permitting charitable bingo in 1976. The law states that cities and counties can “provide for bingo games, but only for charitable purposes.”
As such, the regulation of charitable bingo is the responsibility of local jurisdictions, such as cities and counties. In many parts of the state, enforcement and oversight is assigned to local police departments or sheriff’s offices.
What are the penalties for breaking California gambling law?
Illegal gambling is considered a misdemeanor under Penal Code 330 PC in California. All participants, including the hosts, dealers, and players, face being arrested if they are found to be playing “any banking or percentage game played with cards, dice, or any device, for money, checks, credit, or other representative of value.”
The law states that the punishment for engaging in a banking or percentage is “a fine not less than one hundred dollars ($100) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months, or by both the fine and imprisonment.” A judge can award a misdemeanor probation in lieu of jail time.
What legal gambling locations are available in California?
Tribal casinos and cardrooms are the main legal gambling locations in California. You can also place pari-mutuel bets at a handful of racetracks, and there are more than 23,000 licensed lottery retailers in the Golden State.
This chart highlights the legal gambling locations in California. We have highlighted the location of each venue and the types of games you can play.
| Venue | Location | Games offered |
|---|---|---|
| 500 Club Casino | Clovis | Baccarat, Blackjack, Hold’em |
| Ace & Vine | Napa | Blackjack, 3 Card Poker |
| Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City | Cathedral City | Slots, 3 Card Poker, Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker |
| Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs | Palm Springs | 3 Card Poker, Let It Ride, Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Caribbean Stud, Hot Water Craps, Mystery Card Roulette, Mississippi Stud, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Crazy 4 Poker |
| Agua Caliente Casino Rancho Mirage | Rancho Mirage | 3 Card Poker, Let It Ride, Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Caribbean Stud, Hot Water Craps, Mystery Card Roulette, Mississippi Stud, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Crazy 4 Poker |
| Artichoke Joe’s | San Bruno | 3 Card Poker, Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Pai Gow Tiles, Cal Blackjack, Hold’em |
| Augustine Casino | West Coachella | Slots, 3 Card Poker, Blackjack |
| Bankers Casino | Salinas | Hold’em, Omaha, 3 Card Poker, EZ, Baccarat, Fortune Pai Gow Poker, Face Up Pai Gow Poker, Spanish 21, Ultimate Texas Hold’em |
| Barona Casino | Lakeside | Slots, 3 Card Poker, Baccarat, Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, Casino War, Craps, EZ Baccarat, Let It Ride, Pai Gow Poker, Card Roulette, Poker Room |
| Bay 101 Casino | San Jose | Limit and No Limit Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Fortune Pai Gow Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, 3 Card Poker, Blackjack, Pai Gow Tiles, Crazy 4 Poker, Golden Frog Baccarat, Face Up Pai Gow Poker |
| Bear River Casino | Loleta | Slots, 3 Card Poker, Blackjack, Card Roulette, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Poker Room |
| Black Oak Casino | Tuolumne | Slots, 3 Card Poker, 4 Card Poker, Blackjack, Let It Ride, Pai Gow Poker, Spanish 21, Casino War, Poker Room |
| Blue Lake Casino Hotel | Blue Lake | Slots, Baccarat, Blackjack, Craps, Pai Gow Poker, Texas Hold’em, Bingo Hall |
| Cache Creek Casino | Brooks | Slots, 3 Card Poker, Baccarat, Blackjack, Craps, Mini-Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Spanish 21, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Poker Room |
| Cahuilla Creek Casino | Anza | Slots, 3 Card Poker, Blackjack |
| Cal-Expo Race Track | Sacramento | Pari-Mutuel Betting |
| California Grand | Pacheco | Texas Hold’em, Blackjack, Baccarat, 3 Card Poker, Pai Gow Poker |
| Capitol Casino | Sacramento | Pure 21.5 Blackjack, Baccarat, 3 Card Poker, Pai Gow Poker, Texas Hold’em, Omaha |
| Casino M8trix | San Jose | Limit and No Limit Hold’em, 3 Card Poker, Baccarat, Blackjack, Pai Gow Poker, Pai Gow Tiles, Casino War, Crazy 4 Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em |
| Casino Marysville | Marysville | Blackjack, Ultimate Texas Hold'em, Pai Gow Poker |
| Casino Pauma | Pauma Valley | Slots, Blackjack, Pai Gow Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Poker Room |
| Central Coast Casino | Grover Beach | No Limit Texas Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha |
| Chicken Ranch Casino | Jamestown | Slots, Blackjack, Spanish 21, 4 Card Poker, 3 Card Poker, Face Up Pai Gow Poker, Bingo Hall |
| Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino | Coarsegold | Slots, Blackjack, Progressive Face Up Pai Gow, Dai Baccarat, Let It Ride |
| Chumash Casino | Santa Ynez | Slots, 3 Card Poker, 4 Card Poker, Blackjack, EZ Baccarat, Mystery Card Roulette, Pai Gow, Spanish 21, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Mississippi Stud |
| Commerce Casino & Hotel | Commerce | Pot Limit Hold’em, No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Big O, Mexican Poker, Stud, Stud Hi-Lo, Lowball, Mixed Games, Face Up Pai Gow Poker, EZ Baccarat, Blackjack, Blackjack Switch, Pai Gow Poker, Pai Gow Tiles, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, 3 Card Poker, Mississippi Stud, Crazy 4 Poker, Casino War |
| Coyote Valley Casino | Redwood Valley | Slots, 3 Card Poker, Blackjack, Single Deck Blackjack, Fortune Pai Gow Poker, Poker Room |
| Crystal Casino | Compton | 7 Card Stud, Blackjack, Double Down Stud Poker, Draw Poker, EZ Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Let It Ride, Hold’em, Omaha |
| Del Mar Fairgrounds | Del Mar | Pari-Mutuel Betting |
| Del Rio & Casino | Isleton | Three Card Poker |
| Desert Rose Casino | Alturas | Slots, Blackjack |
| Diamond Jim’s Casino | Rosamond | 3 Card Poker, Baccarat, Blackjack, Fortune Pai Gow, Ultimate Texas Hold’em |
| Diamond Mountain Casino & Hotel | Susanville | Slots, Blackjack, Poker Tables, Bingo Games |
| Eagle Mountain Casino | Porterville | Slots, 3 Card Poker, 4 Card Poker, Face Up, EZ Baccarat, 21 Stud, Pai Gow Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Blackjack, I Luv Suits Poker |
| Elk Valley Casino | Crescent City | Slots, Blackjack, Poker Room, Bingo Games |
| Empire Sportsmen’s Association | Modesto | 3 Card Poker, Blackjack, Double Hand Poker, EZ Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Hold’em |
| Epoch Casino | Rancho Cordova | Baccarat, Blackjack, Face-Up Pai Gow, Ultimate Texas Hold'Em, 3 Card Poker |
| Fairplex Park | Pomona | Pari-Mutuel Betting |
| Fantasy Springs Casino | Indio | Slots, 3 Card Poker, Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, EZ Baccarat, Mini-Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Pan, Spanish 21, Bingo Hall |
| Garcia River Casino | Point Arena | Slots |
| Garlic City Casino | Gilroy | Limit and No Limit Hold’em, Blackjack, EZ Baccarat, 3 Card Poker, Pai Gow Poker, Pai Gow Tiles, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Pan |
| Golden Acorn Casino & Travel Center | Campo | Slots |
| Golden West Casino | Bakersfield | No Limit Hold’em, Limit Hold’em, Omaha, 3 Card Poker, EZ, Baccarat, Fortune Pai Gow Poker, Face Up Pai Gow Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em |
| Graton Resort & Casino | Rohnert Park | Slots, 3 Card Poker, Baccarat, Blackjack, Pai Go Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Poker Room |
| Harrah’s Resort Southern California | Valley Center | Slots, Rincon Craps, Craps No More, Mystery Card Roulette, 6 Card Poker, Fortune EZ Pai Gow, Face Up Pai Gow, Blackjack, EZ Baccarat, 3 Card Poker, Mississippi Stud, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Let It Ride |
| Havasu Landing Resort Casino | Needles | Slots, 3 Card Poker, Blackjack |
| Hidden Oaks Casino | Covelo | Slots |
| Hollywood Park Casino | Inglewood | 3 Card Poker, Blackjack, Crazy 4 Poker, Pai Gow Poker, Pai Gow Tiles, Pan-9, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, 7 Card Stud, Chinese Poker, Mixed Games |
| Humboldt County Fairgrounds | Ferndale | Pari-Mutuel Betting |
| Hustler Casino | Gardena | Blackjack, Limit and No Limit Texas Hold’em, No Collection EZ Baccarat, 3 Card Poker, Pai Gow Poker |
| Kings Card Club | Stockton | EZ Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Buster Blackjack X, 3 Card Poker, Texas Hold’em |
| Lake Elsinore Casino | Lake Elsinore | Hold’em, Omaha, Pure 21 Blackjack, Three Card Poker, Let It Ride, Spanish 21, Crazy 4 Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, 7 Card Stud, Pai Gow Poker, EZ Baccarat |
| Larry Flynt’s Lucky Lady Casino | Gardena | Texas Hold’em, Short Deck Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Lo 3 Card Poker, Blackjack, Pai Gow, EZ Baccarat |
| Limelight Cardroom | Sacramento | Blackjack, Texas Hold’em |
| Livermore Casino | Livermore | Hold’em, Omaha, Blackjack, 3 Card Poker, Baccarat, Pai Gow |
| Los Alamitos Race Course | Cypress | Pari-Mutuel Betting |
| Lucky 7 Casino | Smith River | Slots, Blackjack |
| Lucky Bear Casino | Hoopa | Slots |
| Lucky Chances Casino | Colma | Limit and No Limit Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, 7 Card Stud, Pai Gow, Double Hand Poker, 3 Card Poker, Pure 21.5 Blackjack |
| Mono Wind Casino | Auberry | Slots |
| Monterey Casino | Marina | 3 Card Poker, Blackjack, Pai Gow Poker, Texas Hold’em |
| Morongo Casino Resort & Spa | Cabazon | Slots, 3 Card Poker, 7 Card Stud, Blackjack, Craps, EZ Baccarat, Fortune Pai Gow Poker, Face Up Pai Gow Poker, Spanish 21, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Poker Room, Bingo Hall |
| Napa Valley Casino | American Canyon | Limit and No Limit Hold’em, Omaha, Baccarat, Blackjack |
| Oaks Card Club | Emeryville | Limit and No-Limit Hold’em, Omaha, Stud and also Blackjack, Baccarat, 3 Card Poker, Pai Gow Poker |
| Ocean’s Eleven Casino | Oceanside | Limit Hold’em, No Limit Hold’em, Omaha, Blackjack, Dragon Dai Bacc, Fortune Pai Gow Poker, Progressive Three Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em |
| Oceanview Casino | Santa Cruz | Limit and No Limit Hold’em, Omaha, Omahi Hi-Lo, Blackjack |
| Outlaws Card Parlor | Atascadero | 3 Card Poker, Blackjack, No Limit Hold’em |
| Pala Casino Spa and Resort | Pala | Slots, Blackjack, Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Pala Roulette, Pala Craps |
| Palace Poker Casino | Hayward | Limit and No Limit Hold’em, 3 Card Poker, Fortune Pai Gow Poker, Pai Gow Tiles, Blackjack |
| Parkwest Bicycle Casino | Bell Gardens | 3 Card Poker, 7 Card Stud, Blackjack, EZ Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Pai Gow Tiles, Pan, Super Pan 9, Let It Ride, California Lowball, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Mixed Games |
| Parkwest Casino | Manteca | 3 Card Poker, Baccarat, Blackjack, Pai Gow Poker, Texas Hold’em |
| Parkwest Casino 580 | Livermore | Texas Hold’em, Blackjack, Pan, Draw Poker, 7 Card Stud, Pai Gow Poker, Lo Ball |
| Parkwest Casino Cordova | Rancho Cordova | 3 Card Poker, Baccarat, Blackjack, EZ Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Omaha, Texas Hold’em |
| Parkwest Casino Lodi | Lodi | Baccarat, Blackjack, Pai Gow Poker, Texas Hold’em |
| Parkwest Casino Sonoma | Petaluma | Hold’em, Blackjack, Pai Gow |
| Pechanga Resort & Casino | Temecula | Slots, 3 Card Poker, 7 Card Stud, Blackjack, Craps, EZ Baccarat, Fortune Pai Gow Poker, Face Up Pai Gow Poker, Let It Ride, Mini-Baccarat, Spanish 21, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Poker Room |
| Pete’s 881 Club & Poker Room | San Rafael | Limit and No Limit Hold’em, Omaha |
| Pit River Casino | Burney | Slots, Blackjack |
| Player’s Casino | Ventura | 3 Card Poker, Blackjack, EZ Baccarat, Fortune Pai Gow Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em |
| Pleasanton Fairgrounds Racetrack | Pleasanton | Pari-Mutuel Betting |
| Quechan Casino Resort | Winterhaven | Slots, 3 Card Poker, Blackjack, Pai Gow Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em |
| Red Earth Casino | Salton City | Slots, Blackjack |
| Red Fox Casino | Laytonville | Slots |
| Red Hawk Casino | Placerville | Slots, Blackjack, Blackjack Switch, Fortune Pai Gow, Mystery Card Roulette, Three Card Poker, Let It Ride, EZ Baccarat, Mini-Baccarat, Poker Room |
| Redwood Hotel & Casino | Klamath | Slots |
| River Rock Casino | Geyserville | Slots, 3 Card Poker, Baccarat, Blackjack, Pai Gow Poker, Spanish |
| Robinson Rancheria Resort & Casino | Nice | Slots, Blackjack, 3 Poker, Face Up Pai Gow Poker, Baccarat, Bingo Hall |
| Rogelio’s Poker Room Isleton | Isleton | Texas Hold’em, Omaha and Crazy Pineapple |
| Rolling Hills Casino | Corning | Slots, 3 Card Poker, Pai Gow Poker, Blackjack |
| Running Creek Casino | Upper Lake | Slots, Blackjack, Ultimate Texas Hold’em |
| San Pablo Lytton Casino | San Pablo | Slots |
| Santa Anita Park | Arcadia | Pari-Mutuel Betting |
| Seven Mile Casino | Chula Vista | Limit Hold’em, No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Blackjack, Fortune Pai Gow, EZ Baccarat |
| Sherwood Valley Casino | Willits | Slots |
| Soboba Legends Casino | San Jacinto | Slots, 3 Card Poker, Chase the Flush, Blackjack, Ultimate Texas Hold’em |
| Sonoma County Fair | Santa Rosa | Pari-Mutuel Betting |
| Spotlight 29 Casino | Coachella | Slots, 3 Card Poker, Blackjack, Pai Gow Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Mini-Baccarat, Mystery Card Roulette, Spanish 21, Ultimate Texas Hold’em |
| Stars Casino | Tracy | 3 Card Poker, Baccarat, Blackjack, Face Up Pai Gow Poker, Texas Hold’em, Ultimate Texas Hold’em |
| Stones Gambling Hall | Citrus Heights | Baccarat, California Blackjack, Pai Gow Poker, Omaha, Texas Hold’em |
| Sycuan Resort & Casino | El Cajon | Slots, Blackjack, Spanish 21, Free Bet, Mystery Card Roulette, Craps-Style Games, Poker Room, Bingo Hall |
| Table Mountain Casino | Friant | Slots, 3 Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold'em, Face Up Pai Gow, EZ Baccarat, I Luv Suits, Blackjack, Bahama Bonus, Mystery Card Roulette |
| Tachi Palace | Lemoore | Slots, Blackjack, Stax Progressive, Spanish 21, 3 Card Poker, Face Up Pai Gow Poker, EZ Pai Gow Poker, Baccarat, Richer Roulette, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Poker Room, Bingo Hall |
| The Aviator Casino | Delano | 3 Card Poker, Blackjack, Hold’em Mexican Poker |
| The Big Fresno Fair | Fresno | Pari-Mutuel Betting |
| The Casino Club Redding | Redding | Blackjack, 3 Card Poker, No-Limit and Limit Texas Hold’em, Omaha Hi/Lo, Pot Limit Omaha |
| The Deuce Lounge & Casino | Visalia | Hold’em, Spanish 21 |
| The Gardens Casino | Hawaiian Gardens | 3 Card Poker, 7 Card Stud, Baccarat, Blackjack, Draw Poker, EZ Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Hold’em, Omaha |
| The Heights Casino | Trinidad | Slots, Blackjack, Card Roulette, Poker Room, Bingo Hall |
| The Nineteenth Hole | Antioch | Card Poker, Baccarat, Blackjack |
| Thunder Valley Casino | Lincoln | Slots, Blackjack, Baccarat, 3 Card Poker, 4 Card Poker, DJ Wild Stud, Zappit Blackjack, Craps Card Game, Poker Room, Bingo Hall |
| Towers Casino | Grass Valley | Poker, Blackjack |
| Turlock Poker Room | Turlock | Hold’em, Mexican Poker, 3 Card Poker, Blackjack, Spanish 21, Ultimate Texas Hold’em |
| Twin Pine Casino | Middletown | Slots, Blackjack, 3 Card Poker |
| Valley View Casino & Hotel | Valley Center | Slots, Blackjack, Pai Gow Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, 3 Card Poker, Richer Roulette |
| Viejas Casino & Resort | Alpine | Slots, EZ Baccarat, Blackjack, Craps-Style Games, Fortune Pai Gow, 3 Card Poker, 6 Card Poker, Mystery Card Roulette, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Bingo Hall |
| Wanaaha Palace Casino | Bishop | Slots, Blackjack, 3 Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em |
| Win-River Casino | Redding | Slots, 3 Card Poker, Blackjack, Pai Gow Poker, Hold’em |
| Yaamava' Resort & Casino at San Manuel | Highland | Slots, Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Pure 21 Blackjack, 3 Card Poker, Let It Ride, Spanish 21, Crazy 4 Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold'em, 7 Card Stud, Pai Gow Poker, EZ Baccarat |
If a gambling location is not featured on the list above, it is likely to be illegal. As mentioned earlier, you face being arrested if you participate in illegal gambling in California, and the punishment can be a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail.
Timeline of legal gambling in California
These are the key laws that have shaped California’s modern gambling industry. Many have been amended in the ensuing years in order to keep up with technological and behavioral changes.
Pari-mutuel wagering was legalized via Assembly Constitutional Amendment 119 after voters approved a ballot measure in 1933. This law, known as the Horse Racing Act of 1933, added Section 25a to Article IV of the California Constitution, creating the California Horse Racing Board.
Several rules and regulations have been approved in the ensuing years to ensure the Horse Racing Board can effectively regulate pari-mutuel wagering. Satellite wagering was legalized at fairgrounds in 1985 and expanded to include private facilities in 2008.
Advance deposit wagering was legalized in 2002, allowing horseplayers to place wagers online or over the phone. However, unlike Colorado and New Jersey, California has not ed any laws that would permit fixed-odds betting on horse racing.
This act allows the state lottery to offer draw games and scratchers in California. Initially, the lottery was required to return 50% of its revenue to players in the form of prizes, with at least 34% going to public education and the rest spent on istrative expenses.
In April 2010, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 142, which amended the Lottery Act. This amendment reallocated lottery revenues.
It stated that at least 50% must be returned to the public in the form of prizes. Of the remaining funds, at least 87% must go to public education, and a maximum of 13% can go to istration.
In 1996, the state lottery had to stop offering keno games after the Supreme Court of California ruled that it was a house-banked game and not a lottery game. At the time, house-banked games were illegal in California, and they are now only permitted at tribal casinos.
The Legislature enacted this law in 1997 after recognizing the need for greater oversight over California’s gambling industry.
The Gambling Control Act created the Division of Gambling Control within the Attorney General’s Office and a five-member California Gambling Control Commission appointed by the governor.
In 2007, California’s Attorney General redefined the Division as a Bureau of Gambling Control, positioned in the Department of Justice’s Division of Law Enforcement, following the age of Senate Bill 82.
In September 1999, 61 California tribes finalized tribal-state gaming compacts following years of negotiations.
California voters then approved Proposition 1A, the Gambling on Tribal Lands Amendment, in March 2000. This authorized the governor to negotiate tribal-state gaming compacts with federally recognized Native American tribes.
The tribal-state gaming compacts received approval from the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs in May 2000 and became effective immediately. The compacts have been amended several times as the industry develops.
In 2024, the Assembly and the Senate approved SB 549, known as the Tribal Nations Access to Justice Act. The proposed law could give tribes in California the chance to sue cardrooms and their third-party service providers.
This could determine whether the cardrooms violate state law, which is supposed to give the tribes exclusivity over house-banked table games like blackjack and baccarat.
Resources
These are the resources that we used to compile the information on this California gambling laws page:
- American Gaming Association – California
- California Constitution, Article IV, Section 19
- California Gambling Control Commission – Ratified Tribal-State Gaming Compacts
- California Gambling Law, Regulations, and Resource Information
- California Horse Racing Board – Racing
- California Penal Code 330
- California Proposition 1A of 2000
- California Proposition 3 of 1933
- California Proposition 26 of 2022
- California Proposition 27 of 2022
- California Proposition 37 of 1984
- California State Lottery Act of 1984
- The Gambling Control Act
- Indian Gaming Regulatory Act
- Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention
- Western Indian Gaming Conference
