California Online Casinos
This article take a look at the past, present and future of casino and gambling in general in California. We also take a look at the best places to play online slots and casino games if you live in California.
Is online casino legal in California?
In recent years, Californian players have begun to realize that it is now legal to play at weepstakes casinos - social casinos online where you can redeem wins (in the form of sweepstakes coins), as vouchers or cash prizes. Real money casinos are not yet legal, when it comes to online slots.
California has legalized many forms of land-based real money gambling yet its online counterpart still remains unregulated. As with most other states, it is illegal to start a real money online gaming business and there isn’t a single local gaming site to be found. However, it is not illegal to play sweepstakes online.
There have been numerous attempts to regulate online gambling in California; some were aiming to outlaw online casino, while others were trying to regulate and control the activities somehow. None have been successful, so far.
The state has shown a willingness to embrace daily fantasy sports and legitimize these activities, which may be seen as a step towards the right direction - towards regulating online gaming and gambling.
What is the best way to play online casino games in California?
Sweepstakes, like megabonanza.com, or free to play sites (with no sign-up or download required), like penny-slot-machines.com. In the absence of real money casinos, the best alternative if you want to play to win coins which can be redeemed as vouchers or cash, is a sweepstakes social casino.
Are online sweepstakes the same as real money casinos?
No. Sweepstakes are social casinos with no purchase required to play. You can play for free and win sweepstakes coins, and redeem coins for vouchers and prizes. You can't buy sweepstakes coins, which is unlike real money casinos where you would fund your account and play with the money you deposit.
How old do I need to be to play at Californian online sweepstakes?
Most sweepstakes social casinos adhere to the general minimum age requirement of 18 which applies to brick-and-mortar casinos that don’t serve alcohol. You’ll also find that each site has Terms & Conditions in which they specify how old a customer needs to be in order to use their services.
Which payment methods are accepted at Californian sweepstakes sites?
Debit cards are one of the best options for US players in general due to a wide acceptance rate. Apple Pay and Google Pay are also very popular, becasue they are so quick and easy and you can use face ID verifiation. Most sweepstakes also support Bank Wire and Cheque though these transactions take a bit longer to get processed. to check their T&C.
How fast will I get vouchers or cash if I redeem my coins at a Californian sweepstakes casino?
The speed of withdrawals depends on the chosen payment option as well as the pending period which varies from one sweepstakes social casino to another. US-friendly sites are usually pretty quick. The first time you do it may require extra verification, then after that it should be quicker. Speeds vary from instant to 3 days, in the worst scenario.
California Casino History
Gambling in the State of California is much more than Las Vegas-style reservation casinos, which often come to mind first when the subject is mentioned.
Horses, lottery, card clubs and poker rooms were the first forms of gambling that found a home in California even before its establishment as a state. Poker was played in saloons and was one of the main attractions and entertainment forms in 1850, the year when California became one of the US states.
Very early on, Californian legislators wrote into the brand-new state constitution that poker was a game of skill and not a game of chance. Making such a distinction official made it easy to avoid prohibition and affect all future gambling laws across the country.
Betting on horse races was unregulated until 1933, when the state legalized it with a constitutional amendment. A voter referendum was held which legalized horse race wagering, and that resulted in racing meets being held all year long at five tracks now.
A popular vote also helped create the California State Lottery in 1984, which today includes both scratchers and drawing tickets for progressive jackpots. However, if you’re interested in proper gambling in the Golden State, people will probably refer you to any of the several dozen Native American casinos in the state.
The voters of California passed Proposition 1A, an amendment to the constitution, in 2000, which permitted casino-style gaming on Indian land. Ever since, the number of Native American casinos has been growing.
Land based casinos in California
There are two options when it comes to land-based casino entertainment in California: card rooms and Indian gaming facilities. Card rooms in California mostly focus on poker games, offering Limit Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Lo Split, No Limit Texas Hold'em, Pot Limit Omaha, 7 Card Stud, Texas Hold'em, Mexican Poker, Omaha 8 or Better, Pot Limit Omaha Hi, 5 Card Poker, Razz, 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo, Low Ball, Pai Gow Poker, Pineapple Poker, and more.
There are over 90 licensed card rooms in the Golden State. Other than poker tables, they may offer blackjack games and other player-banked games. With player banking, the house does not pay or take the player’s bet. Instead, the house charges a service fee which ranges from $0.50 to $5 per hand, and the players play against each other.
As for Native American casino establishments, they offer slot machines and a wider variety of legalized gaming items, including poker, bingo, blackjack and, occasionally, off track betting.
The tribes negotiated individual licenses called compacts with the state after the Proposition 1A was passed in 2000. These compacts include all sorts of terms and regulations, such as tax-related details, money sharing conditions and so on. They also specify whether the given casino is allowed to offer Class 1, Class 2 or Class 3 gaming machines.
There are over 60 Native American casino facilities offering card games, slot machines, and bingo, as well as their own special versions of craps and roulette which are otherwise illegal for being played with a ball and dice. Some of the more notable casino venues are San Manuel Casino with 4,700 gaming machines and 125 tables and Thunder Valley Station Casino with over 3,000 gaming machines and more than a hundred table games.
Neighbouring States: Oregon, Arizona, Nevada
Fun Facts about California
• California is the birthplace of McDonald’s. The first restaurant opened in 1940 in San Bernardino, California. McDonald's is now the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants.
• California got its name from a popular Spanish novel, “Las sergas de Esplandián”, which was published in the early 16th century. The novel described a mythical island inhabited by Amazon warrior women and ruled by Queen Calafia. It was called California. When early Spanish explorers discovered the area, they thought it to be the island from the novel, thus named it California.
• Things invented in California include Barbie dolls, Apple computers, blue jeans, video arcade games and skateboards.
References
[1] California Division of Gambling Control
[2] California Gambling Control Commission
[4] California Horse Racing Board
[5] Online gambling - are players at risk of prosecution?
[6] American Gaming Association - https://www.americangaming.org
