What Poker Sites Are Legal In California
California online poker. California has been trying to pass an online poker bill since 2008. Progress has been, to put it mildly, trivial. Read the latest California online poker developments below, and scroll down for a synopsis of the status quo for legal online poker in California. Want to support the online poker bill in California? Yes, BetOnline is a legal California poker site. BetOnline's parent network, Chico, is a licensed and regulated business in the country of Costa Rica and relies on Costa Rican business law and World Trade Organization bylaws to regulate its business. Residents of CA may freely play at this website without fear of breaking the law.
As in many US states, there is no law prohibiting the actual playing of online poker in California. There have been many attempts to legalize and regulate the game properly, but because of many competing interests - notably powerful brick-and-mortar card clubs and the influential tribal casinos - no legislation has so far been successful.
As of 2021, virtually all forms of poker are legal in California, but the current online laws are hazy, to say the least. In terms of playing online poker California legal experts agree that things could be clearer.
Initially, legislation proposed by California Senator Lou Correa - SB 678 (also known as the Authorization and Regulation of Internet Poker and Consumer Protection Act of 2013) - had the backing of some tribes, including the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.
Most notably, only taxed and regulated online poker California sites were to be allowed under the new legislation - with classic table games, like roulette, outlawed.
Despite numerous amendments to the bill, as of 2021, nothing has been signed into the statute books but SB 678 - and its almost identical partner, SB 1366 - remains a definite possibility to be implemented in the next year. So while legal poker sites are a no-go in California right now in terms of government-regulated sites, that could soon change.
While rival Indian tribes discuss the best way to implement a possible SB 678 Bill, similar legislation - SB 51, also known as the Internet Gambling Consumer Protection and Public-Private Partnership Act of 2013 - will include online horse racing and racetracks in any new laws.
Under the proposed SB 51, options open to thousands of online players around the world, such as player-to-player transfers, would be permitted. That's great news for online poker CA players who want to get there money onto a site fast.
As in New Jersey, a “bad actor” clause is a requirement of SB 51, whereby any poker site that took American bets after UIGEA was implemented in 2006 would be barred from operating in the Sunshine State.
Finally, a more widely supported Bill - AB 2291 - was introduced in February 2014 before the legislature deadline. This bill gained a lot of traction among the online poker California community.
AB 2291 - The Gambling Control Act - is supported by a multitude of Native American tribes in California, and prohibits the setting up of new online poker sites to existing card clubs and tribal casinos.
Interestingly, however, there is no “bad actor” clause included in AB 2291, and if legislation were to be passed, it is conceivable tribal casinos could buddy up with major global online poker firms to launch websites, as has been seen in New Jersey.
While legal poker sites in California haven't come to fruition, live poker has been legal in California for a century, and that is reflected in the state's range of legal brick-and-mortar establishments.
As well as many tribal casinos that have poker tables, there are dozens of card clubs like the home of the WPT LA Poker Classic - the Commerce Casino - which can comfortably seat hundreds of players.
In March 2021, 534 entrants played out the $10,000-buy-in LA Poker Classic at the Commerce, with British pro Chris Moorman taking away a first prize over $1 million.
San Jose's Bay 101 also stages an annual WPT event, and major California Championships and WSOP Circuit events are held in the state each year.
Whether the tribal casinos come to an agreement or not, the future of legal poker California players can enjoy may lie in a proposed bill outlawing the game across the entire United States.
The Restoration of the America's Wire Act would reverse a 2011 decision by the Department of Justice not to include poker in any online federal ban. Worryingly for California pro-poker activists, the Senate Bill is supported by the US Senator from that state, Dianne Feinstein.
Is Online Poker Legal in California?
Playing poker online isn't strictly legal in CA, but no one has ever been prosecuted for playing Internet poker there. That's not to say you will find it easy to make real-cash deposits at unregulated sites if you live in California, but overall, there is nothing to stop US players from enjoying the games online in 2021 as much as anyone else in the US. Even though the online poker California legal situation hasn't been totally solved, lots of people still enjoy the game.
What Age Do You Have to Be To Gamble In California?
21 years of age or older.
Are There Any Live Casinos in California?
Some of the world's most famous land-based card clubs are in California. Boasting itself the world's largest poker club with 243 tables is the Commerce Casino, while the Bicycle Casino (190 tables) and San Jose's Bay 101 (30 tables) all offer world-class poker action as well. Traditional table games played for real-money like blackjack and roulette are banned in the state, however.
Can I Make Deposits In California?
There are no specific laws outlawing the best poker sites in California, but CA players should still be mindful that some real-money deposit methods may not work online. Check your favorite rooms to make sure you are using the best US banking method to load up funds.
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Last Updated January 6, 2021
Too many players, California – not Nevada – is the center of the poker universe. The state has earned that reputation thanks largely to the card clubs that host high-stakes cash and tournament action year-round. When it comes to online poker, and gambling in general, players are likely to have a number of questions and concerns. That’s why we’ve assembled this guide to online poker in California that encompasses legal issues, history, the very latest regarding poker news from the Golden State and which sites accept CA players.
California’s appearance in gambling headlines is generally a result of some new delay or disagreement regarding the state’s efforts to legalize online poker California. The state has been going back and forth on the issue for approximately ten years now, and recent attempts to rally support for a revised approach also fell flat. While progress was made in the last few years to garner the quell the opposition of the horse racing industry, the bad actor clause remains the final sticking point on which there is no compromise.
| Type/Code | Summary |
|---|---|
| State Code Section(s) | PEN.1.9.10330-337; BPC.4-5 |
| Definition of Gambling | Gambling: To deal, operate, carry on, conduct, maintain, or expose for play any controlled game. |
| Definition of Banking Game or Banked Game | Banking game or banked game: Does not include a controlled game if the published rules of the game feature a player-dealer position and provide that this position must be continuously and systematically rotated amongst each of the participants during the play of the game, ensure that the player-dealer is able to win or lose only a fixed and limited wager during the play of the game, and preclude the house, another entity, a player, or an observer from maintaining or operating as a bank during the course of the game. |
| Online Poker/Gambling | For 10 years (2006-2016), lawmakers considered variations of online poker legislation but failed to pass one through both houses. Some special interests were placated through the years, but the tribes and card rooms could not find agreement on “bad actor” language. Lawmakers finally gave up after finding no compromises in 2016 and have yet to revisit the issue. |
| Live Poker | Live cash games and tournaments are permitted in more than 100 licensed card rooms throughout the state and casinos on Indian reservations. There are special rules pertaining to draw poker, which must be approved by voters in counties with large populations. |
| Casinos | In addition to card rooms that offer non-house-banked games like poker and California blackjack, casinos are located throughout the state on various Indian reservations. Most of those casinos are complete with table games, slot machines, and other games like keno and bingo. |
| Sports Betting | A bill introduced in 2017 to legalize sports betting was still in action in 2018 but had yet to pass as of the summer session. |
| DFS | California considered daily fantasy sports in 2016, but no bill passed, and there have been no proposals since. |
| Other Forms of Gambling | Lottery, pari-mutuel horse wagering, charitable gambling. |
Recent California Headlines for 2019
What Online Poker Sites Are Legal In California
While progress was made in the last few years to garner the quell the opposition of the horse racing industry, the bad actor clause remains the final sticking point on which there is no compromise. The most recent attempt at a bill in 2017 by longtime online poker supporter Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer was met with such resistance to compromise on the bad actor debate that the bill was considered dead by mid-April. Jones-Sawyer noted that it might be best to start from the beginning, which looks like won’t happen until 2018 at the soonest.
One interesting development in 2017 was the withdrawal of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians from the PokerStars coalition. The move came about due to the exhaustion of funds over many years pertaining to this issue with no clear resolution in sight, but it leaves the PokerStars group weakened, now boasting of the Morongo tribe as the only Native American faction on board with the removal of the bad actor clause. Future developments regarding this coalition may make way for a new round of talks.
There was little news regarding online poker in 2018. Jones-Sawyer had been so disenchanted with the breakdown of talks in 2017 – after ten years of efforts – that he chose not to introduced online poker legislation in 2018. He suggested that the possibility of legalized sports betting might bring all of the stakeholders back the to the table with more open minds, and online poker might find an avenue via a joint bill. But despite the US Supreme Court ruling in May 2018 that allowed states to regulate sports betting as they chose, California wasn’t one of the states that considered any proposals.
Meanwhile, tribal casino operators’ longstanding frustrations with California card room operators took a new turn. It started many years ago when tribal leaders complained to the California Gambling Control Commission and Bureau of Gambling Control about card rooms that refuse to adhere to the letter of the law regarding banked and percentage-based table games. Tribes asserted that card rooms worked around the law by using third-party proposition players to fill open spots at tables and act as the bank, but the rotations do not take place per the law. After years of inaction by the state’s gambling regulators, the tribes took matters into their own hands. In November, the Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians and Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians filed a lawsuit against numerous casinosin the state, including Bicycle Casino, Commerce Casino, Oceans 11, Hollywood Park, Hawaiian Gardens, Hustler, 25 unnamed proposition players, and unnamed third-party prop player providers.
California Sports Betting Laws 2021
Frustrated lawmakers, frustrated tribal leaders, and scrutinized card rooms may find it difficult to come together on sports betting, online poker, or any other gambling-related matter in 2021
All Poker and Gambling Laws by State
Are Online Poker Sites Legal
They said they would do it, and they did it. And this may only be the beginning. The Rincon Band of Luiseno Mission Indians and Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians joined together to file a lawsuit in the County of San Diego in the Superior Court of California.
Read FullCalifornia may not have made any recent progress regarding the legalization of online poker, but the state remains one of the most popular for poker players. There are currently more than 150 card rooms in the state, ranging from small rooms to large facilities dedicated primarily to poker, as well
Read Full- September 25th, 2018
A successful poker player must have confidence. Gordon Vayo has displayed that quality on numerous occasions at the poker tables, whether playing live or online, but none more than in the 2016 World Series of Poker Main Event. On the biggest stage in poker, playing for one of the largest
Read Full - February 14th, 2018
That was quick. Not even two full months into 2018 and news emerges that California will not pursue online poker legislation this year. Even the future in California is unclear and seems dependent upon the upcoming US Supreme Court decision regarding sports betting. According to one legislator who has been
Read Full - November 25th, 2017
California has 88 cardrooms currently operating throughout the state, not including those inside many of the 62 tribal casino operations. The vast majority of cardrooms run smoothly and legitimately, staying well within the guidelines of the California Gambling Control Commission (CGCC) and federal gambling statutes. However, the number of incidents
Read Full - November 21st, 2017
California is a haven for cardrooms. Currently, the California Gambling Control Commission (CGCC) shows 88 active cardrooms throughout the state with 1,997 total tables in operation. This is in addition to the tribal gambling operations in California, which currently total 62 casinos. While state legislators have yet to find agreement
Read Full
California Online Poker Legislation
The path to legalized online poker in California has been full of disappointments. Assemblyman Mike Gatto once claimedthat California’s legislature has seen two to six online gambling bills every year since 2008, with none of them being remotely successful. After significant progress in 2016 that resulted in yet another failure, and a total of ten years of attempts to legalize and regulate California real-money online poker, the issue was put on indefinite hold in 2017 due to a stalemate that has caused many lawmakers and interested parties to leave the discussions in frustration.
The Basics of Playing Online Poker in California
Legal Poker Sites In Pa
You don’t need to know much about California to know that poker is massively popular in the state. Whether it’s the constant action at the state’s card rooms, the regular presence of California-based players on poker’s world stage, or the steady stream of online poker news coming from the state, everything points to one conclusion: Californians are playing Internet poker in numbers that far outstrip any other state in the US (and probably quite a few countries as well).
Legal California Online Poker Sites
Like most, poker players want to know that they’re playing at a reputable site which will offer a fair game. We suggest only sites that are properly licensed and regulated in their jurisdiction, ensuring that Californians play only at legal poker rooms online. You can view this page to get a list of the best sites for your state.