While talks continue to set up legal sports betting in California, the desire for CA online casinos to launch has grown. We may be a ways away from having online slots, poker, and other online gambling in California, but it is most assuredly on the legislative radar.
Land-based casinos and in-person poker exist throughout the state, and though you can play poker statewide, you will only find casino games like slots and table games on tribe-owned land.
While we do wait for those plans to come to fruition, social casinos (also known as sweepstakes casinos) like Chumba Casino and Luckyland Slots are also on hold for residents in California.
Can You Gamble Online In California?
California online gambling is currently not legal. Effective January 1, 2026, promotional sweepstakes-based casinos are also no longer legally available in California due to state regulation.
Where Can I Gamble In California?
There are currently close to 70 tribe-owned casinos in California, allowing you to play slots and table games while we wait for online casinos in CA. With the recent restriction of sweepstakes, these locations are the only way for Californians to play casino games.
California Online Poker
While you can play poker in person at many locations throughout California, there are many who want to play online poker. Unfortunately, there’s no way you can play online poker for real money. In fact, a sweepstakes-style online poker option, Global Poker, is also no longer open to residents of California, effective Jan. 1, 2026. The recent ban on sweepstakes casinos in California made this site inaccessible to the residents.
California Online Sports Betting
As many CA sports betting proposals come in and out, those in the state are without online sportsbooks. Voters rejected competing sports-betting ballot measures in November 2022. So, any statewide rollout would likely take time.
Just like real money and sweepstakes casinos, residents have to wait for the launch of legal sportsbook sites in the state for now. Once active, you can choose from various sports matchups and bet types available on legal sportsbooks.
California Betting Sites
While we wait for online gambling to expand to California, including online casinos and sports betting, you can still enjoy Daily Fantasy Sports at sites like DraftKings and FanDuel. This allows you to make sports picks for cash prizes as you move up the leaderboard in each league you enter.
DraftKings Daily Fantasy Sports
Giving a place for players to make picks for cash prizes since 2012, DraftKings is the most popular site for daily fantasy sports. They offer hundreds of guaranteed prize pools for you to join every day, no matter the sport you want to make picks in.
You can also enter free contests daily for cash! Whether you’re on a desktop or the DraftKings app, it’s a great destination to make daily fantasy sports picks for cash.
FanDuel Daily Fantasy Sports
FanDuel and DraftKings have been synonymous with daily fantasy sports, and much of it comes down to personal preference as to which DFS site you want to join. FanDuel has been around for over a decade now and gives players a great place to make picks for cash, including many free contests across all sports.
FanDuel also has solid apps for Android and iOS that allow you to make picks easily and keep track of your open contests to see how much money you’re winning!
When Will California Legalize Online Gambling?
It’s tough to put a target date on when California will have legal online gambling, especially when it comes to online casinos. While there have been multiple proposals to authorize sports betting in the state, concessions for CA online casinos and online poker have yet to be made.
California Online Casino Games
California does not currently license or permit real-money online casino gaming. You’ll be able to play a full array of the best online slots and table games once online casinos in California become legal. Recently, lawmakers also enacted Assembly Bill 831 to close the online sweepstakes casinos in the state.
Signed by the Governor and scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2026, sweepstakes casinos no longer be legally available to Californians. AB 831 targets online games that use a dual-currency model, i.e., virtual coins and sweepstakes coins. This new regulation makes it unlawful to operate and offer sweepstakes-style games in California.
The ban on sweepstakes casinos made it even harder for Californians to access online casino games. Any future legalization would require new legislation or voter approval.
California Casino Apps
Yes, there will be California online casino apps once they expand online gambling in the Golden State. For now, sites like FanDuel and DraftKings have dedicated apps that you can download on Android and iOS devices.
California Casino Banking Methods
When California online casinos become legal in the state, you will have many options to fund your account. While many people prefer to use online banking for deposits and withdrawals, you’ll have several other options that you can use when signing up for an online casino in California.
Credit Cards and Debit Cards
You can use credit cards and debit cards the same way to find your California online casino account. The most common brands of credit or debit cards are Visa and Mastercard, although you will find many CA online casinos will take the following cards:
- Visa
- MasterCard
- American Express
- Discover
On the casino side, you won’t be charged a fee to use credit or debit cards to make a deposit. However, you need to check with the issuing bank to make sure they won’t charge you a fee to use them with a casino. Unless they state otherwise, you cannot withdraw money to a credit or debit card.
PayPal
PayPal is one of the most popular payment processors in the United States, most known for being used for eBay transactions. Deposits are easy to make between your casino account and PayPal and usually credit immediately.
If you want to withdraw to your PayPal account, you need to deposit through it first. Withdrawals usually take up to 24 hours to transfer funds.
ACH
ACH allows you to transfer funds freely between your bank account and your CA online casino account. Fees are not charged by the casino for ACH transactions, but check with your bank to see if they have fees associated with it. Deposits usually happen immediately, while withdrawals can take up to 24 hours to process.
Skrill
Skrill is another well-known online payment processor that allows you to use your bank account, credit cards, and more to transfer funds to and from your online casino account.
You can even deposit to your Skrill account via a paper check if you need to. Deposits are usually credited instantly, while withdrawals can take up to 24 hours if you have deposited using Skrill in the past six months.
California Online Casino Frequently Asked Questions
Are Sweepstake Casino Sites Available in California?
California law has banned sweepstakes casinos. Assembly Bill 831 takes effect in the state as of January 1, 2026, meaning those sweepstakes casino sites are no longer available to California residents. You can also check the site’s current terms for the legal status.
Is Online Gambling Legal In California?
No form of online casino gambling is legal in the Golden State. Although tribal casinos are legal in California, you currently don’t have access to California online casinos, sweepstakes online casinos, sports betting sites, or online poker.
What Is The Legal Gambling Age In California?
You must be 18 or older to gamble in California, but many land-based casinos in California set their minimum age to 21.