In the Golden State, the subject of iGaming is a hotbed. The same goes for sports betting. Even though seven states support legal online gambling, and more than 20 support sports betting, this is not the case for California. Despite being heralded as one of the most progressive states in the nation, legal iGaming continues to be a major thorn in the road.
Even more complicated is the subject of sweepstakes casinos. So, the question that many Californians have is whether iGaming in the Golden State is legal. This article walks you into the interesting times and state of California iGaming.
Is Online Gambling Legal in California?
The answer to that vital question is no. Online gambling in the Golden State is illegal. This means that commercial online casinos that are massively popular in legal states like Pennsylvania and New Jersey are not allowed to operate in the Golden State.
This scenario continues to be a perplexing one because there are many First Nation-owned casinos throughout the Golden State. One of the requirements for operating an online casino in any state is a partnership with a licensed land-based casino. Today, California is home to over 70 First Nation casinos, by far the most in any state. Even more spectacular is that there are more First Nation casinos slated to be built, including the controversial new Koi Nation project that was greenlit by the outgoing Biden Administration.
The Current Legal Status of Real Money Online Gambling in California
The California Gambling Control Commission is the agency that lays down the framework for legal casinos in the state. Because the land-based casinos in California are owned by First Nations, the National Indian Gaming Commission also plays an oversight role.
The subject of legalizing online casinos in California has been a prevalent one in recent years. When you factor that in 2022 alone, the entire iGaming industry grossed over $65 billion, it’s no wonder that mega states like California and New York continue to lobby hard for legal online gambling in their states.
As early as the 2010s, California tried to legalize online poker. However, despite many bills to accomplish this, they all ultimately failed. The main reason why legal online gambling in the Golden State has failed is because it doesn’t have the support of the First Nations.
Because the only legal retail casinos are owned by First Nations, many feel that they should have total influence and control of the online sites. In 2020, a major push to legalize both online casinos and sports betting in the Golden State went into high gear.
By 2022, the California legislature has two promising pieces of legislation including Prop 27 and Prop 26. Even though it had tremendous public support, it ultimately failed because it didn’t have the backing of the First Nations. While the public was behind legal iGaming, they had mixed feelings about sports betting.
Comparing California’s Gambling Laws with Other States
Besides California, New York continues to push hard to legalize online casinos in its state. Unlike California, sports betting, both online and retail, are legal in The Empire State. New York seems to be more committed to passing legal online casinos in their state with a flurry of bills in 2025. So far, there is no current legislation to do the same thing in the Golden State.
In the meanwhile, many Californians like 40 other states, continue to ride heavily on sweepstakes casinos. Since 2020, social casinos have been rising at a dramatic rate because it allows die-hard online casino players like in California a chance to play their favorite games, even for free.