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.

Even then, some alternatives are worth exploring. They are based offshore and are generally considered a no-go under California online casino state laws. However, players may access them freely and without any ramifications, almost. We take a closer look at all the information about real money online casino sites in California, USA below.

Best California Online Casinos

Even though social casinos seem like the only option to play and enjoy in California, United States, many offshore casino sites offer real money gambling in the Golden State. Therefore, some Californian casinos are a fairly decent pick when you factor in the inevitable risks.

For starters, players have no guarantees that their financial information is safe which can be a big turn-off for anyone who is looking to play leisurely. Struggling to get one’s winnings out of a casino website is hardly anyone’s good idea for having a good time.

There are other risks, too. Apart from slow banking, you may also lose personal and financial information, as offshore casino sites are by rule not as scrupulous and meticulous about data protection as their licensed counterparts on the mainland.

Nevertheless, there has been a trend of Californian casino sites that have been able to buck this trend and provide players with a fairly decent, safe, and reliable environment to play in. They have made sure that cashouts are still quick, albeit slower than what you would get in a licensed online casino in Michigan or New Jersey, for example.

Players who are a little less risk-averse may consider the following real money casino sites in California that provide you with a good variety of titles through and through. Let’s check the list.

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.

Does this mean that if you do play at real money casino sites – which are based offshore – you may face prosecution of any kind? This is a difficult question. The short answer is no, the slightly longer is “unlikely.”

Although California takes a dim view of illegal gambling sites, if there will be any legal action it will be targeted at the casino sites themselves rather than players who, for the most part, may not even be aware they are playing at an illegal website in the first place.

How to Pick an Online Casino in California

Choosing an online casino in California can understandably be a little complicated, given the above circumstances. Players who are interested in making sure that they are making the best possible choice would normally have to follow a list of criteria that we too use in our ranking to present you with a selection of the best casino sites in California for real money.

Software and Casino Games

Software and the available casino games are equally important in your choice of a good real money casino in California. For the most part, players will want to have a good number of titles to pick from, along with solid underpinning software that allows for HTML5 play and accessing your favorite casino games from any platform.

License and Reputation

Although you will find no Californian real money casino site that holds a license in the Golden State, many are actually licensed in other jurisdictions. This is not per se a permit to operate locally, but it’s at least some commitment to industry standards. Reputation is far more important, and this is why we factor in what other players say about Californian real money casino sites.

Banking and Cashouts

The true test of any Californian casino’s mettle is whether the website can provide players with decent banking options. This is what we look for specifically as well. We expect casinos to offer decent speeds, and to also stick to their timetables. In other words, if a withdrawal is happening within 48 hours it must happen within 48 hours. Our team will be very specific about how casinos handle this aspect of business.

Customer Support

Customer support is surprisingly good at Californian real money casino sites in the USA. These websites are fully prepared to handle a large volume of requests and they do very well when put to the test. Good customer support is crucial for any casino, and we are exacting our expectations from any casino that operates in California and wants to end up on our list as well as your bucket list to try.

Bonuses and Promotions

Another important part of the casino experience in California is whether you have access to casino bonuses. Many brands will offer very decent welcome offers. Some match bonuses can reach 100% up to $5,000 – very much the norm for most Californian casino sites for real money.

Mobile California Casinos

Mobile online casinos for real money in California are the norm. This is why we make sure that any brand on our list is actually HTML5 compatible and offers players the opportunity to play from their smartphones and tablets.

The added benefit of playing on the go allows players to explore games at their own leisure. There are no strings to the actual location or time commitment, which is welcomed by Californian players who cherish the chance to tune in for a quick session on a whim.

Everything, from the banking options to the games available, is optimized to run smoothly on mobile devices, which gives real money Californian casino sites their keen edge.

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. Conversely, the offshore casino sites that we cautiously recommend offer real money play.

They do not come with a dedicated app but have been optimized for mobile play, and you have no reason not to try their games on the go and from your handheld device of choice.

Land-Based Casinos in California

California is naturally home to many land-based casinos, mostly run and operated by tribes. We have decided to put down the names, addresses, and contact information of some of the more important casinos in California. These are all commercial and physical properties, so do not expect to find online casino games there. There is a total of 70 casinos to pick from, but we will naturally only name a handful. 

Casino	Address	Contact
Yaamava’ Resort & Casino	777 San Manuel Blvd S, Highland, CA 92346, United States	+1 909-864-5050
Pechanga Resort Casino	45000 Pechanga Pkwy, Temecula, CA 92592, United States	+1 877-711-2946
Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort	12222 New York Ranch Rd, Jackson, CA 95642, United States	+1 800-822-9466
San Pablo Lytton Casino	13255 San Pablo Ave, San Pablo, CA 94806, United States	+1 510-215-7888
Chumash Casino Resort	3400 CA-246, Santa Ynez, CA 93460, United States	+1 805-686-0855
Thunder Valley Casino Resort	1200 Athens Ave, Lincoln, CA 95648, United States	+1 916-408-7777
Sycuan Casino Resort	5469 Casino Way, El Cajon, CA 92019, United States	+1 619-445-6002

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.

California Online Casinos FAQ