The United States has some of the most confusing gambling laws in the world.
As each state is allowed to set its own rules and regulations, this means laws can be different from town to town if there is a state border between them. It sounds strange to outsiders, but this is how America works.
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- The History of Online Sports Betting in California Until recently, California was governed by the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) which was signed into federal law in 1992.
- Facing a massive budget shortfall in 2020, California sports betting looked like it could become a reality in the coming years. This was always going to be an uphill battle because of heavy tribal casino presence and influence. Ultimately, that's what halted California's sports betting bill and pushed its legalization date to 2023 at the earliest.
- DraftKings is a leading candidate to provide online sports betting in California. DraftKings is one of the top 2 online sports betting operations in the US and has entered every legalized state thus far. DraftKings also inked a deal with Caesars earlier in the year, further supporting their reach.
There is only one safe and legal way to bet USA in California. And place wagers on your favorite sports teams or outcomes. And that is to join an offshore online sportsbook that accepts California residents. Offshore online sportsbooks are not in violation of California’s gambling laws. That is because they are not based in California.
As a result, anyone visiting California during 2020 may be unsure of the status of online gambling laws in the Golden State.
Although the Supreme Court ruling of a couple of years ago opened the door for legalized sports betting in the US, many states have been slow to make progress.
Read on for the ultimate tourist guide to online gambling laws in California.
What types of gambling are allowed in California in 2020?
As mentioned, online gambling rules in America are in something of a state of flux. A number of states are pressing forward with changes to their own rules, but as of yet California is not on this list. This is despite California facing a major budget shortfall due to the coronavirus crisis.
It is estimated legalizing online gambling in California could result in millions of dollars a year in revenues being raised, in a similar way to when the state gave the green light to cannabis sales.
With many bricks and mortar casinos having to close due to the global pandemic, it also seems strange that people have not been able to play games like poker and blackjack online instead.
As it stands, the California State Lottery, cardrooms and bricks and mortar casinos are among the forms of gambling that are legal in California right now. It is not allowed to run commercial casino-style gaming in California, though Native American casinos operate in the Golden State.
The multi-state Powerball and Mega Millions are available to play through the state lottery, giving people in the state a chance to win what would undoubtedly be a life-changing amount of money.
Non-banked card games such as poker have always been legal to play in California, which helps to explain why cardrooms are so popular in this part of America. Parimutuel wagering on horse racing is also permitted at the time of writing in California. However, this is only the case when this betting takes place at California’s racetracks and satellite wagering facilities.
It is also permitted to gamble at home in California, though this is not likely to be useful for those who are visiting the Golden State on a holiday this year. The rules regarding at-home gambling forbid games where the host takes a cut of the money that is wagered, however.
What about online gambling rules in California?
Laws in California do not permit online gambling right now, but things could change in the future. It is expected that a lot of states, perhaps including California, will change their rules and regulations regarding online gambling within the course of the next few years.
So while regulation could allow you to play at online sites, at the moment it is not legal to do so, though in reality prosecutions for this simply do not happen. There is also nothing to stop people who are in California from accessing online gambling sites based in other parts of America.
However, it is worth pointing out that players would potentially be taking a risk by using online casino sites that are not licensed and regulated in the Golden State.
One of the reasons why online gambling has not yet been legalized in California is that the existing cardrooms and bricks and mortar casinos that operate in the state are against such a move. This is naturally due to the suspicion online gambling sites would affect how many people visit their facilities, perhaps rendering their businesses outdated and irrelevant.
It was initially planned to have a sports betting measure on the ballot for this November but plans to make this a reality fell through earlier in the year. State senator Bill Dodd confirmed time had run out with the negotiations not able to have been completed in time.
“It remains important that we lift this widespread practice out of the shadows to make it safer and to generate money for the people of California,” he said.
Online gambling laws in California will surely change sooner rather than later. But it is not going to be in 2020, so tourists visiting the Golden State this year might need to use other options.
Online Sports Betting Legal In California
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Legal Online Betting In California
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