Is Online Gambling Legal in California?

Published in cooperation between time2play.com and Good Times

With its dynamic culture and spirit of innovation, California has had a long, intriguing love affair with gambling. Given that California is the most populous state in the U.S., with prominent cities like Santa Cruz, this means an extremely thriving industry from tribal casinos all the way to card rooms. 

But is online gambling legal in this state? The article will outline when online gambling became legal in California and the nuances of its legality.

A Brief History of California Gaming

Gaming has taken a very long journey in California, starting with the Gold Rush-era mining towns where saloons ran non-stop games of chance. Over time, it provided a more systematic approach to handle gambling. In the mid-20th century, horse racing and other forms of gambling were explicitly legalized, as well as charitable bingo. With the passage of the IGRA, the 1980s and 1990s saw the expansion of tribal casinos.

Despite these developments, California has been wary of jumping aboard the online gambling bandwagon, concentrating most of its efforts on land-based gambling.

The Current Status of Online Gambling in California

Today, online gambling is not specifically declared legal in California, and nothing has been done to give it a regulatory framework. Put simply, the state neither regulates nor licenses online gambling providers. 

That grey area has prompted Californians to participate in online gambling through sites that are based out of state. In fact, everything from poker and slots to even sports bets, every kind of player can find their match with these online websites in California.

The Drive for Legalization of Online Gambling

Efforts to legalize and regulate online gambling have been ongoing in California, now for more than 10 years. Much of this has aimed at online poker since it is a very popular game with active followings in the state. Bills have been presented for the establishment of a legal framework pertaining to online poker and other online gambling games, but there have been disagreements among stakeholders that so far have stalled progress in the process.

Tribal casinos, card rooms, and racetracks are the most powerful players that make up California’s gambling industry, often with competing interests, as where tribal casinos want exclusivity to provide online gambling services, others like card rooms and racetracks want to be included.

Sports Betting: A Gateway to Online Gambling

In 2018, the United States Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, opening the door for all states to legalize sports betting. Many saw this as a chance to modernize California’s gambling laws, maybe even including online gambling.

In 2022, Californian voters had a chance to weigh in with two different propositions related to sports betting: Proposition 26 and Proposition 27. While Prop 26 involved in-person wagering at tribal casinos and several racetracks, Prop 27 aimed to legalize online sports wagering. Neither proposition received sufficient approval, and it is very unclear what the future might hold with regard to online gaming.

Why Hasn’t Online Gambling been Legalized Yet?

Several factors can be identified to explain why California is a bit late in legalizing online gambling:

• Diverse Interests: Competing priorities among tribal casinos, card rooms, and racetracks deadlock the legislation.
• Taxation and Revenue Sharing: Online gambling progress has been very slow to get moving due to disagreement over how the taxes of online gambling revenues would be divided.
• Public Opinion: While many Californians have nothing against gambling, some of them voice their concern about the consequences for social and economic life which will happen if online gambling is finally legalized. 

What Does the Future Hold?

All delays notwithstanding, the push toward making online gambling legal in California seems unabated. According to industry experts, once in place with the right legislature and alignment of stakeholders’ positions, California may eventually open its doors to legalizing online gaming and create a regulated market in place of illegal or poorly regulated sites, ensuring not only player protection but large revenues for the state where several international operators would be interested. 

Until that day comes, the residents who would like to gamble online will continue to go to offshore sites, which are safe and entertaining. It’s best to do prior research and have some level of knowledge on which casinos are best suited to you and your playing style, which is when you can use sites like https://time2play.com/ that provide information and compare not just casinos, but games, bonuses, payment methods and much more.

Conclusion 

Though not legalized, online gambling in California does hold immense potential for business in the industry once challenges to its legislation are cleared. In the meantime, Californians will have to settle for the intricacies of how the system currently works: seeking offshore gaming platforms that will satisfy their gaming needs. 

With ever-changing discourses on online gaming, Californians can continue to hold onto hope for the time when their state eventually goes the way of embracing its gambling industry in its transition into cyberspace. Meanwhile, awareness and good choices provide a safe and fun way to enjoy online gambling.