Is Sports Betting Legal in California?
Yes, betting on sports is legal in California.
No, there are trusted offshore sportsbooks serving California.
- Last Update: February 10, 2025
What sports betting apps are legal in California?
Since regulated betting apps like FanDuel and DraftKings are unavailable for Californians using offshore sportsbooks such as BetOnline and Bovada are recommended as both have 20+ year track records and accept players from California.
Trusted betting sites for players in California
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What sports betting apps are legal in California?
We have provided detailed reviews of the top California betting sites which can help you decide which is the best online sports betting site for your requirements:
Heritage Sports is among the best offshore betting sites for California players, known for its wide range of betting options and VIP service. It offers a comprehensive live betting platform with hundreds of daily bets, making real-time betting easy and exciting. Heritage Sports caters to both mainstream and niche sports markets, appealing to a variety of players.
California users have reported fast payouts and excellent customer service from Heritage Sports.
- Competitive reduced juice odds at -108
- Comprehensive live betting options
BetAnySports is a favorite among California bettors, thanks to their -105 reduced juice lines that help you save on every bet. With competitive odds across a wide variety of markets, including moneylines, futures, and props, BetAnySports has you covered for all your sports betting needs.
Whether you’re backing the Lakers, the 49ers, or any other team, you’ll find great value on their platform, making it a top choice for California players.
- Best reduced juice lines at -105
- Quick and reliable payouts
For California bettors, MyBookie stands out as an excellent choice, offering a smooth, hassle-free experience and a vast selection of betting markets. Whether you’re interested in popular American sports like NFL, NBA, MLB, and NCAA or looking to dive into international events, MyBookie has you covered.
The platform is known for its user-friendly interface, making it easy to navigate on mobile devices, so you can place bets on the go, no matter where you are in California. Plus, it’s a polished site, delivering reliability and top-tier service for U.S. bettors.
- Robust live betting platform
BetOnline is a popular choice among California bettors for its opinionated lines, offering a more personalized approach to sports betting. The platform boasts a sleek betting interface, which makes it easy to navigate for both seasoned and novice California players. Additionally, BetOnline is known for competitive parlay and teaser payouts, attracting California users who enjoy maximizing their potential returns.
What truly sets BetOnline apart is its commitment to treating all California players like VIPs, providing a high level of service and support. With an efficient customer service department, California players can expect timely and helpful responses, ensuring a smooth betting experience. Whether you’re new to the betting scene or a seasoned pro, BetOnline is a solid platform for bettors in California looking for both convenience and competitive odds.
- Opinionated Lines
- Broad range of bonus offers
Nowadays Bovada is best known for their superior mobile app and large variety of political and entertainment bets. Bovada’s bonuses and aggressive rewards program remains among the best.
- An intuitive, user-friendly mobile interface
- An expansive range of betting markets
For bettors in California, BookMaker stands out due to its reputation as the place where betting lines often originate. What makes it particularly appealing to California bettors is the combination of high betting limits and a welcoming attitude toward sharp action. Whether you’re a seasoned high roller or a casual bettor, BookMaker provides the flexibility to cater to both.
The platform is known for its strong customer support and competitive odds, which help attract those looking to bet on a wide variety of sports and events. California players can take advantage of BookMaker’s loyalty program, which rewards consistent players with exclusive bonuses and perks, enhancing the overall betting experience. Whether you’re placing bets on local California teams or international sports, BookMaker’s broad reach and accommodating policies ensure that all types of bettors feel valued and supported.
- High betting limits
- Renowned loyalty program
If you’re a bettor in California looking for a solid addition to your betting accounts, Everygame is worth considering. They offer appealing bonuses, such as sign-up bonuses and loyalty rewards, which can enhance the value of your wagers.
With a wide range of markets available for betting and a smooth mobile experience, Everygame provides flexibility and convenience for those who want to diversify their betting options. Whether you’re placing bets on sports, casino games, or other events, Everygame can be a reliable platform to consider for your next wager.
- Variety of promotions
- Excellent customer service department
How to Bet on Sports in California
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1 Pick Your SportsbooksChoose an offshore sportsbook available in you prefer. Register by clicking “Join” and complete the simple form.
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2 Claim a BonusSelect from available promotions and deposit match offers. It’s recommended to use crypto if available since generally speaking welcome bonuses are larger if using crypto.
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3 Deposit FundsFind the cashier, pick your payment method—credit cards, wire transfers, or crypto—and confirm your deposit.
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4 Place a BetPick your sport—NFL, NBA, NHL, or more—and add bets to your slip. Enter your stake, then confirm your wager.
California Sports Betting Updates
California cardrooms spent millions targeting lawmakers post-vote, warning others of the cost of opposing their legislative interests. California tribes unlikely to support mobile sports betting initiatives until at least 2028, tribal leaders indicate.
The Sports Betting Alliance (SBA), a coalition formed by proposed legal sportsbooks FanDuel, DraftKings, Fanatics and BetMGM, also opposes the proposed gambling laws.
With the unanimous passage of SB 549 by the California Assembly, tribes move closer to challenging cardrooms over games like blackjack, as the bill grants them a one-time opportunity to sue cardrooms for tribal casino locations to have exclusive gaming rights.
California’s cardroom debate reignites as the “Tribal Nations Access to Justice Act” (SB549) advances in the Assembly.
California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA) questions the legality of daily fantasy sports and pick’em games.
Despite the start of California’s 2023 legislative session, there are no sports betting proposals introduced.
After the defeat of both Propositions, on the ballots, the road to legalizing sports betting in California seems to be quite lengthy. In practice, the earliest opportunity for another vote to occur would be in 2024.
On the 17th, the California Nations Indian Gaming Association voted to formally oppose the recently proposed sports betting ballot initiatives. This opposition from a significant stakeholder indicates continued challenges and disagreements within the state regarding making sports betting legal.
A survey commissioned by tribal leaders in the state reveals that only 30% of Californians support the legalization of sports betting.
Prop 26 & Prop 27 fail in California, with 67% and 82% of voters going against each of the sports betting proposals, respectively.
Analysts at California-based Eilers & Krejcik Gaming predict that both competing ballot measures – Proposition 26 and 27 – will fail to gather the required 50% of the vote to pass into law. It said the war of words between tribal casino operators and proposed legal sportsbooks has led to it “leaning negative on California’s sports betting legalization prospects this fall.”
The MLB announces that it supports Proposition 27, the measure that would allow Californians to bet on sports at mobile apps and online betting sites. However, a poll suggests that a wide range of voters may not even be aware of the ballot initiative.
The California Democratic Party reveals that it has decided to oppose legalizing sports betting via mobile apps through the Proposition 27 ballot initiative and that it will abstain from Proposition 26, the retail sports betting bill, not currently setting up for the expansion of the sports betting industry in the state.
A campaign strategist for Prop 26, the sports betting ballot initiative backed by Native American tribes, declares that the rivals cannot co-exist. If both Prop 26 and Prop 27 pass, Prop 26 backers plan to take the matter to court, as they only want sports betting markets to be available at retail venues hosted at specific tribal casino locations.
Two measures designed to expand the legalization of sports betting in California gain the requisite support to go on the ballot in November. Prop 26’s ballot question will ask Californians if they want to legalize retail-only sports wagering at retail sportsbooks on tribal lands, while Prop 27 is an online measure; it will ask voters to decide on whether online sports betting should be permitted statewide via sports betting apps and websites.
A group of mayors, city councilors and elected officials in the Golden State join forces to oppose the sports betting initiative backed by Native American Tribes that seeks to exclude online wagering.
Three prominent Native American Tribes join forces to create the Californians for Tribal Sovereignty and Safe Gaming Committee. It seeks to convince Californians to oppose plans to legalize online sports betting and push for retail-only wagering at tribal casinos instead. Meanwhile, a University of California – Berkeley poll suggests that 45% of Californians want sports betting to be legalized, whereas 33% do not and the rest are undecided.
Card rooms in California state their opposition to the tribes’ retail-only sports betting plans. They fear losing business and ending up in legal battles with the tribes.
How We Review the Best California Sports Betting Apps & Mobile Sites
BMR is a leading industry watchdog. We work hard to shine a light on reputable sportsbooks and hold dishonest sites to account. Our experts carefully vet every sports betting site available in California and we only recommend online sports wagering platforms that treat players fairly and payout on time.
We also review the strengths and weaknesses of each sportsbook in detail before assigning it a rating (from 10 to 1).
Mobile Betting Experience
The overall mobile betting experience is an important consideration. The platform should be easy to navigate, so you can find your favorite leagues and games you are interested in with ease.
The bet slip should be user-friendly too and easily allow you to place all types of bets, just like the desktop version. The best sites also provide added features, such as a same-game parlay builder and pre-game stats, to improve the online betting experience.
Quality of Betting Odds & Lines
The best California betting sites offer competitive betting odds on sports such as pro football, Major League Baseball, basketball, hockey, golf, tennis, MMA, boxing and soccer. Sites like Heritage Sports and BetAnySports stand out by offering reduced juice lines, which means better betting odds that improve a bettor’s long-term prospects of achieving profitability.
Betting Bonuses
We look for online sportsbooks with generous offers with reasonable wagering requirements. We favor sites that offer a good variety of promotions and different types of bonuses. That includes deposit bonuses, ongoing reload bonuses and other promotions.
We look for generous offers with reasonable wagering requirements. These deals allow you to play with house money and they can boost your chances of profiting as a sports bettor.
Live Betting & Streaming
Mobile sites are ideal for live betting. You can pick up your phone and rapidly place a bet on a game you are watching, without needing to turn on your computer. The best sports betting operators make it very quick and easy for you to place live bets. They provide plenty of live wagering options, with competitive betting odds available. Some sportsbooks, such as BetOnline, also offer live streaming.
Online Banking Options & Payout Speeds
The top California sportsbooks offer a solid variety of payment options including a variety of cryptocurrencies. As they are based overseas, we often find that crypto is the best option for quick, safe transactions. However, you can also use credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), debit cards, e-wallets, bank transfers and wire transfers.
The best operators feature swift payment processing, so they offer quick payout timings. Same-day payouts are sometimes offered for users who prefer using cryptocurrencies for payment (not to mention extra bonuses).
Customer Service
Our A+ rated California betting operators provide 24/7 support through a variety of customer service methods. You can call the customer support team, use live chat or send an email. They have multilingual, experienced agents who can deal with a variety of requests quickly and diligently.
We always test out the customer service department and response times before recommending a California betting site or app.
Reputation & Security
We are very careful to only recommend highly secure and reputable betting sites that pay out customers’ winnings. Operators like BookMaker and BetOnline have been in business for decades and they have always paid out on time and in full. They can be trusted to grade all wagers fairly and to uphold the terms laid out on their sites.
California Betting Options
Many bettors stick to standard point spreads, moneylines and totals. However, you should find a wide variety of additional markets at the best sportsbooks. Your choices should include:
- Game Props: Bets on specific events within a game, like the first team to score.
- Player Prop Bets: Wagers on individual player performances, such as scoring points.
- Alternate Lines: Different betting lines and point spreads for the same event.
- Same Game Parlays: Combining multiple bets from one game into a single parlay.
- Live Betting: Live betting is betting on a game while it’s happening, with changing odds.
- Futures: Bets on the outcome of upcoming events, usually you can bet on major sports events, like championship winners.
- Parlays: A single bet combining multiple wagers, requiring all to win for a payout.
- Teasers: Parlay bets with adjusted point spreads for lower payout odds.
- Pleasers: Parlay bets with less favorable lines for higher potential payouts.
- Progressive Parlays: Parlay bets offer payouts even if some picks lose.
- Reverse Bets: Two if bets in both forward and reverse order.
- If Bets: A second bet placed only if the first bet wins.
- Round Robins: Multiple parlay bets created from a larger list of bets.
Learning these different options can help you optimize your betting strategy and make the most out of your wagers. Many sites also have other gaming options, like horse race betting and casino games.
California Sports Betting Bonuses and Promotions
You can choose from a wide variety of California mobile betting brands. They know how competitive the market is, so they offer sportsbook bonuses and promotions to gain new customers. These are the main types of mobile betting bonuses that you can typically find at an online betting app:
Sign-Up Bonuses
Sports betting platforms offer a new user bonus to help encourage players to register. The most popular offer is a deposit match.For example, BetOnline matches 50% of your first deposit with bonus credits, up to a maximum of $250, whereas Bovada offers a 75% deposit match up to $750.
Sometimes you need a bonus promo code to unlock the welcome offer, but you can normally just click through from BMR, sign up and make a deposit to qualify. Your bonus funds will come with rollover requirements, including a minimum deposit. You need to complete them before cashing out any of the money left over.
Existing Customer Promotions
Sportsbooks also offer bonus bets and other promos designed to drum up repeat business. These offers encourage customers to come back on a regular basis to place bets. The most common offer is a reload bonus, which is similar to a sign-up bonus, but the deposit match is usually smaller and it is available from your second deposit.
Additional offers include referral bonuses, odds boosts, parlay profit boosts, insurance deals and other money-back specials, contests, prize draws, free bets and risk-free bets. If you visit the promotions page of a California mobile sportsbook, you will see a detailed list of the bonuses on offer and a list of the promo codes you need.
No Deposit Bonuses
You may be offered a no-deposit bonus at some California sportsbooks in future. It means you receive bonus funds and you do not need to make a minimum deposit to earn them.
However, you do have to complete a considerable rollover requirement before the sportsbook will allow you to cash out a profit. Yet you are in with a chance of earning a risk-free payout and you also get to test the site out, so these no-deposit bonuses are often appealing.
Free Bets
Some betting sites that accept California players will offer you free bets or bonus bets. For example, BetOnline gives customers up to $250 in free play to use on a sports betting market after signing up. Sometimes, these types of bonuses require a minimum deposit.
Popular Teams to Bet on in California
California is a sports powerhouse with teams across major professional leagues and college athletics, giving bettors plenty of options. Here are the most popular teams to wager on in the Golden State:
- Los Angeles Rams & San Francisco 49ers (NFL): Football fans in California have two iconic NFL teams to bet on. The Rams, based in Los Angeles, have a strong roster and recent Super Bowl success, while the 49ers, with their rich history, remain one of the most popular franchises in the league.
- Los Angeles Chargers (NFL): Sharing the LA spotlight, the Chargers bring exciting gameplay and strong offensive talent, making them another solid choice for football betting enthusiasts.
- Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers & LA Clippers (NBA): Basketball is massive in California. The Warriors have dominated the NBA in recent years, while the Lakers, led by a storied legacy, continue to be a fan favorite. The Clippers, on the rise, add even more depth to the state’s NBA betting options.
- Los Angeles Dodgers & San Francisco Giants (MLB): California’s MLB rivalry is unmatched. The Dodgers are a perennial contender, and the Giants, with multiple championships in the last two decades, remain a strong team to follow during baseball season.
- San Diego Padres & Los Angeles Angels (MLB): The Padres have emerged as a competitive team in recent years, while the Angels, led by superstar talent, provide exciting games for MLB fans.
- Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings & San Jose Sharks (NHL): Hockey fans in California enjoy betting on the Ducks, Kings and Sharks. The Kings have a history of Stanley Cup victories, while the Ducks and Sharks continue to draw loyal fans with thrilling matchups.
- LAFC & LA Galaxy (MLS): Soccer is growing rapidly in California. LAFC and the LA Galaxy are two of Major League Soccer’s most popular teams, with strong rivalries and passionate fan bases.
- USC Trojans & UCLA Bruins (NCAA): College sports betting is huge in California, particularly when it comes to football and basketball. The USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins are two historic programs that consistently deliver exciting games.
- Stanford Cardinal & California Golden Bears (NCAA): Stanford and Cal offer another layer of college sports action, particularly during Pac-12 matchups. Both schools have strong fan support across the state.
With a mix of professional and college teams, California’s sports scene gives bettors endless opportunities. Whether you’re following an NFL rivalry, NBA showdown or MLB playoff push, California teams provide excitement all year long.
Online Sports Betting Banking Methods in California
You should find a wide selection of sportsbook banking options at the best California sportsbooks. The best operators accept:
- Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express)
- Debit or prepaid card
- Check (via online banking)
- Bank wire transfers
- P2P payment services like PayPal
- Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum or LiteCoin
Bitcoin and a variety of altcoins are great options for your transactions as well. Additional banking methods can include an e-check, a P2P transfer, a wire transfer or e-wallets such as Skrill and Neteller.
Conclusion
While California has yet to legalize state-regulated sports betting, offshore sportsbooks like BetOnline, Bovada and BookMaker remain a trusted option for residents. These reputable online platforms provide a safe and legal way to place bets, offering competitive odds, generous bonuses and a broad range of betting markets, including live wagering and player props.
California Sports Betting FAQs
What sportsbooks are legal in California?
Many California bettors use well-established online sportsbooks like BetOnline, Bovada and BookMaker. These platforms offer extensive sports options, fast payouts, crypto-friendly transactions and unique features like early line access and high-limit betting, catering to players looking for more control and variety.
What apps can I use to sports bet in California?
Californians often choose mobile-friendly platforms from top international sportsbooks. These apps deliver a smooth, responsive experience, extensive sports coverage from major leagues to niche events, live in-game betting and customizable betting lines.
How can I bet online if I live in California?
California bettors can use reputable sites like BetOnline, Bovada and BookMaker, which provide secure, user-friendly platforms and a wide lineup of sports markets. These platforms also feature player perks, loyalty rewards and frequent bonuses.
Can I use FanDuel Sportsbook in California?
FanDuel’s sportsbook isn’t available in California, but many bettors choose trusted international sportsbooks. These platforms feature exclusive betting lines, high payouts and special promotions for major events, providing a dynamic experience for California sports fans.
Can I sports bet in California online?
Yes, many Californians place bets through licensed international sportsbooks that provide a broad selection of sports, easy navigation and exclusive bonuses. With features like early odds, customizable lines and flexible crypto deposits, these platforms offer an ideal setup for California players.
Is the Caesars Sportsbook app legal in California?
Caesars Sportsbook is not legal in California, as tall legislative efforts have failed so far. However, players in the Golden State can use sportsbooks like BetOnline to wager on their favorite sports.
Can l play DraftKings in California?
DraftKings is only available for daily fantasy sports in California. However, it is perfectly legal for you to use online sportsbooks and online casino sites based offshore. BetOnline and Bovada are both common options for CA players.
California Betting Guides
To learn more about gambling, horse race betting and more in your state, check our guides to other forms of gambling in California.
California Betting News
California Sports Betting a Long Shot in 2026
California’s tribal leaders have confirmed that mobile sports betting will not be supported by tribes until at least 2028. Despite the state’s large potential market,
California Cardrooms Send a Stern Signal to Lawmakers Who Vote Against Them
California cardrooms spent several million dollars attacking legislators who voted against their interests after the legislation had been passed. It’s an unusual tactic to attack
Legislators Empower California Tribes to Take Cardroom Dispute to Court
California lawmakers approved SB549, allowing tribes a one-time chance to sue cardrooms over gaming rights. As the bill heads to Governor Newsom, it could reshape
California Tribes Closer To Challenging Cardrooms in Court
California tribes aim to challenge cardrooms over games like blackjack and baccarat, and the recent unanimous passage of SB 549 by the state Assembly moves
