California – Online Casinos & Gambling Regulations

Find the Best Californian Casino Online

Gambling in the USA can be tricky. Due to strict laws against gambling, a lot of Americans are forced to play at unlicensed international casinos when they play online. Of course, doing so brings a certain element of risk, and players need to be aware of these risks before they sign-up. One thing that gamblers should do is thorough research. By researching the casinos that you are visiting, you reduce the risk of running into a problem considerably. When researching, there are certain key elements and red flags to look out for. We have compiled the following list of questions to help you out. 

• Are players from California able to sign up at the casino? 
• What security measures do they have in place? Do they use encryption technology?
• What currencies are accepted? Can I play using cryptocurrencies?
• Can players from California access welcome bonuses & other promotions?
• Can I access the site using a mobile device? Do they have an app?
• Are there player reviews available of the casino online?

Due to the fact that many of the casinos operating in this region are going to be unlicensed, players will have to have their wits about them when it comes to choosing which site to use. This can be difficult, and that’s why we here at GoodLuckMate have spent hours compiling detailed online casino reviews. You can check out these reviews to help you find the best operators to use in California. 

Gambling Regulation – California State Consitution

Gambling in California is regulated at a state level and is controlled by the California State Constitution. Under Article IV of this act, gambling is illegal, however, there are several caveats. Cardrooms, tribal casinos, a state-run lottery, bingo, horse race wagering, and certain online gambling activities are permitted. 

It is illegal to own and operate a real-money online casino while living in California. There is no specific law that makes it illegal to play at online casinos in California, with the only penalties that exist applying to operators who attempt to start casinos and not to individual players. As such, many players in the state will turn to international and unlicensed casinos. Playing at these sites does mean that players are not protected under any jurisdiction and as such, they should operate with caution. 

Localized Online Casinos

With California being one of the biggest states in one of the biggest countries in the world, locals should have few problems finding casinos that are accessible to them. The vast majority of online casinos will list English as a language and many of these casinos will offer a wide variety of different payment methods. Some popular American payment methods, such as American Express, may not be accepted by all casinos but there shouldn’t be too much trouble finding an alternative option. 

Many of the unlicensed international casinos that operate in the area are likely to offer a selection of different bonuses to players from the State. The only real problem that Californians are likely to encounter is finding casinos that are going to accept players from the state. 

Gambling with United States Dollars

Californians will have no problem finding online casinos that accept USD as their primary payment method. A large proportion of online casinos will list USD alongside other popular currencies like EUR and GBP as their main currencies. With California being the home of big tech, players may be interested in playing online using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Litecoin. These are becoming increasingly popular options and more and more operators are now listing them as payment methods. 

Casinos in California

As we’ve already discussed, it is illegal to own and operate an online casino within the state of California. There a few exceptions, with the state allowing for some sweepstake online casinos to operate. In terms of physical casinos, Californians have a few more options. Tribal casinos, which are those that are built on Native American land, are perfectly legal, as they are throughout the entires United States. These are very popular to visit among Californians. Betting on horse racing is also legal in Cali and residents there will regularly have a cheeky flutter at the tracks. 

Cardrooms, which offer players just poker and table games, are allowed to operate throughout the state, though, certain games are banned. These will often advertise themselves as casinos, though, you will not find any slot machines in there. Of course, Californians only have to make the short trip to neighboring Arizona where they can play in Las Vegas if they want to try their luck on slot machines. 

As a result of the strict gambling laws there, many players in California will turn to unlicensed and unregulated online gambling sites. Playing at one of these can be a risk, as there is no guarantee under any jurisdiction that your money is going to be kept safe. If you feel as though playing at one of these sites is your only option, then we advise that you do your thorough research and only use sites that you can find information on here at GoodLuckMate.