California Online Casinos

California offers plenty to people who enjoy leisure activities. The beach, continuous sunshine, and a good pick of social casinos. Yet, one thing that you find missing is safe legal online casino gaming in the state. As things stand, the Golden State has not come up with a way to regulate real money online casinos, which has put a crimp on people’s hopes to be able to enjoy slots, table games, and live casino products any time soon.

Any offshore casinos are a no-go under California online casino state laws. Residents may still explore daily fantasy sports or horse racing betting, but these options fall short of real money casino gaming, which is what most people are after.

Thankfully, California is a state dotted with brick-and-mortar casino venues, but this too may not be enough for all players. We take a closer look at all the information about real money online casino sites in California, USA below.

California Casino News

Stay updated as California makes waves with its evolving gambling laws, responsible gaming efforts, and enforcement actions. Check the feed below for the latest updates and developments across the state.

Casino October 24, 2025

Justice Department Moves to End Card Room Blackjack Loophole in California A new plan from California’s Department of Justice could reshape the state’s gambling scene by prohibiting card rooms from offering blackjack and similar table games. This move, which aims to tighten rules on “banked” games, has sparked strong opposition from local business owners and workers who claim it would destroy their industry. Card Rooms Face […]

Casino October 13, 2025

California Bans Sweepstakes Casinos Starting 2026 The legislature agreed unanimously, and Governor Gavin Newsom made it official: sweepstakes casinos will no longer be available for Californians starting January 1, 2026.  No Votes Against Assembly Bill 831, a measure that enjoyed strong backing from the California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA), passed with zero opposing votes over the weekend. CNIGA argued that […]

Casino September 22, 2025

Roblox Tries to Get Lawsuit Thrown Out Over Alleged Ties to Gambling Roblox went back to federal court in San Francisco this week. The company asked a judge to throw out claims that it made money from kids gambling with its virtual money Robux. Parents filed a class action lawsuit saying their children could bet Robux on outside websites that worked like casinos. Roblox Denies Profiting from […]

Casino September 10, 2025

California’s Onslaught Against Sweepstakes Secures Win in Senate, Assembly Next California’s Senate has unanimously backed AB 831, a piece of legislation that seeks to outlaw sweepstakes social casinos in the state, arguing that they constitute a form of illegal gambling. The debate about the issue has split the nation and tribal operators, with some siding with the business model and arguing that it is necessary […]

Are Online Casinos Legal in California?

No, online casinos for real money are not legal in California. There has been very little effort to change this. The big-ticket item on everyone’s mind is how to bring sports betting to California.

A private attempt to push past Native American tribes and put a question on the ballot that would in theory allow to change the state constitution and introduce sports betting as a precursor to online casinos has been put on the backburner after the backers realized that they would not be able to overcome a strong anti-campaign by tribal nations.

Although chatter about having sports betting in California has not died, it is now clear that 2024 will not be the year when this matter is decided. This bodes another year of vacuum and inactivity when it comes to real money casino sites.

Social casinos have been left up to pick the slack, and they have enjoyed a strong interest from local players. Yet, the outstanding issue remains. The lack of real-money casinos is pretty much the status quo under existing laws in the state.

Sweepstakes and social casinos are still legal in California, but it is possible for the vertical to come under closer scrutiny as the tribes are looking to consolidate their stature in the state as the only purveyor of legitimate gambling options of any kind.

Californian tribes are also caught in a bitter battle with private card rooms which want to challenge the tribes’ exclusivity over table card games.

Conversely, the tribes want to shutter the card rooms, as the “player-banked” loophole is largely seen as illegal in tribal circles. This does not necessarily impact the status of online casinos but is part of the ongoing talks about regulating and expanding gambling in California.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has been seen as mostly favorable towards the tribes and has greenlit legislation that allows the tribes to sue card room operators over the “player-banked” issue.

Legal Online Casinos to Play in California

Since there are no real money online casino sites regulated in California just yet, there are some alternatives that you may be interested in exploring. As mentioned before, these are the so-called social and sweepstakes brands that allow you to experience authentic casino games, but not let you use real money to wager.

Social and sweepstakes casinos are very popular around the United States, California included. Some of the most trustworthy options for you to play legal in the state are:

• WOW Casino
• Pulsz
• LuckyLand Slots
• High 5 Casino
• MrLuck Casino

Mobile California Casinos

There are no real money mobile casinos in California. To play online casino games, you need to turn to a sweepstakes or social casino website, which means exploring options such as Chumba Casino or Pulsz.

These sweepstakes casinos offer players the chance to play for free and are available as mobile-first solutions to make the gameplay fun and exciting.  

California Casino Apps

Californian casino apps are very popular. The most common ones have to do with the social and sweepstakes casinos which you can download from the Google Play or Apple Store.

They offer excellent experiences and make it fun to discover hundreds if not thousands of slots and table games. The drawback is that you do not play for real money.

Daily fantasy sports platforms are also available as standalone apps, and you can download those if you prefer.

Responsible Gambling in California

Responsible gambling is a significant part of the fabric of the state and the gambling industry in California. With the expected regulation of other forms of gambling, including iCasino and sports betting, California is sooner or later going to face a much tougher demand for quality services that do with early detection, treatment and harm minimization stemming from problem gambling.

Responsible gambling practices have already been outlined by the Attorney General’s office. The Bureau of Gambling Control is also coordinating with the Office of Problem Gambling both seeking to ensure that there is enough support offered to people who may be running into problems with their gambling habits and controlling them.

For some of the most important resources, you may reach out to the Californian Council on Problem Gambling or Gamblers Anonymous. For some of the most important resources, you may reach out to the Californian Council on Problem Gambling or Gamblers Anonymous.

California Online Casinos FAQ