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Sports betting options for California residents are severely limited, which is unfortunate since it is the most populated state at roughly 40 million people — meaning out of all the states in the United States, California likely has the most sports fans and sports bettors who are over the age of 18.

However, if you live in California, did you know that you can legally bet real money at online sportsbooks if you are at least 18 years old? If you live in the Golden State and are over 18, we want to provide you with our reviewed list of legal sports betting sites and breakdown the sports betting laws for the Golden State.

Top Rated Online Sportsbooks For 18+ California Bettors

Regulated online operators in markets like New Jersey and the UK use poker as a low-cost customer acquisition tool and cross-sell players into casino and sports betting. But there won’t be online casinos, and possibly not online sportsbooks, in California. Online betting sites do serve Californians between 18 and 21 years old. People in California can legally and easily join and enjoy online betting sites. We have gone through them systematically and compared them side-by-side. So we can be sure that these are the best California online sports betting sites. Offtrack betting is popular in California.

Can you bet on sports at age 18 in California?

Yes. It is 100% legal to sign up and bet on sports if you are eighteen and live in California, but only if you’re using a legally licensed offshore betting site, such as the ones we have reviewed on our site. However, California does not currently allow state-licensed sportsbooks to operate within its jurisdiction for people eighteen and up.

Is it legal to bet at 18+ online sportsbooks in California?

Yes. As mentioned above, licensed offshore betting sites are legal in California and other 18+ sports betting states if there is no law — state or federal — preventing their use. State-licensed online sportsbooks are currently not allowed in California.

Are sports betting sites safe for California residents?

Each of the online sportsbooks featured on our site has been determined to be 100% safe for bettors 18 and up after being thoroughly vetted by our staff to determine their legitimacy and security features. Not all sports betting sites are created with the intention of providing players with a safe and secure site to place money on sports, which is why we strongly recommend using the sites we’ve reviewed.

How did PASPA affect legal sports betting in California?

PASPA did have an impact on the Golden State’s ability to allow state-regulated sports betting within their borders. In May 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal sports betting law known as PASPA, which had prevented states from deciding whether to allow sportsbooks to operate with their jurisdiction.

California Sports Betting Laws/Pending Bills

California lawmakers have begun the process of introducing sports betting legislation with ACA 16 and SCA 6 in 2020. The plan was to get domestic sports betting on the ballot for November of 2020 but the California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA) intervened, introducing new language that was going to require lengthy debate. The Tribal casino interests wanted a controlling interest in the CA sports betting industry. Unfortunately, there was not enough time on the clock to iron out the details, so it will not be able to get on the ballot again in California until at least 2022.

18+ State-Licensed Sportsbooks in California

State-licensed sportsbooks for residents 18 and up — or for any age — are currently not allowed to operate within the state lines of California.

California College and Professional Sports Teams

The sheer number of college and professional sports teams in California can be hard to keep track of, but here are all the colleges with at least one team playing sports at the NCAA Division I level and all the major professional sports teams in the Golden State.

NCAA Division I Teams:

• California Baptist Lancers: WAC (Riverside)
• Cal Poly Mustangs: Big West (San Luis Obispo)
• Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners: WAC (Bakersfield)
• Cal State Fullerton Titans: Big West (Fullerton)
• Cal State Northridge Matadors: Big West (Northridge)
• California Golden Bears: Pac-12 (Berkeley)
• Fresno State Bulldogs: Mountain West (Fresno)
• Long Beach State 49ers: Big West (Long Beach)
• Loyola Marymount Lions: West Coast (Los Angeles)
• Pacific Tigers: West Coast (Stockton)
• Pepperdine Waves: West Coast (Malibu)
• Sacramento State Hornets: Big Sky (Sacramento)
• Saint Mary’s Gaels: West Coast (Moraga)
• San Diego Toreros: West Coast (San Diego)
• San Diego State Aztecs: Mountain West (San Diego)
• San Francisco Dons: West Coast (San Francisco)
• San Jose State Spartans: Mountain West (San Jose)
• Santa Clara Broncos: West Coast (Santa Clara)
• Stanford Cardinal: Pac-12 (Palo Alto)
• UC Davis Aggies: Big West (Davis)
• UC Irvine Anteaters: Big West (Irvine)
• UC Riverside Highlanders: Big West (Riverside)
• UC Santa Barbara Gauchos: Big West (Santa Barbara)
• UCLA Bruins: Pac-12 (Los Angeles)
• USC Trojans and Women of Troy: Pac-12 (Los Angeles)

Major Professional Sports Teams:

• Anaheim Ducks: NHL (Anaheim)
• Golden State Warriors: NBA (Oakland)
• LA Galaxy: MLS (Carson)
• Los Angeles Angels: MLB (Anaheim)
• Los Angeles Chargers: NFL (Inglewood)
• Los Angeles Clippers: NBA (Los Angeles)
• Los Angeles Dodgers: MLB (Los Angeles)
• Los Angeles FC: MLS (Los Angeles)
• Los Angeles Kings: NHL (Los Angeles)
• Los Angeles Lakers: NBA (Los Angeles)
• Los Angeles Rams: NFL (Inglewood)
• Los Angeles Sparks: WNBA (Los Angeles)
• Oakland Athletics: MLB (Oakland)
• Sacramento Kings: NBA (Sacramento)
• San Diego Padres: MLB (San Diego)
• San Francisco 49ers: NFL (San Francisco)
• San Francisco Giants: MLB (San Francisco)
• San Jose Earthquakes: MLS (San Jose)
• San Jose Sharks: NHL (San Jose)

Notable Athletes Born in California

When it comes to noteworthy people in sports, it would be hard to argue that any state has given birth to more notable athletes and sports figures than California. Here is a list of best athletes to be born in the state.

• Aaron Judge – All-Star MLB player (Linden)
• Aaron Rodgers – Pro Bowl NFL player (Chico)
• Alan Trammell – Hall of Fame MLB player (Garden Grove)
• Alex Morgan – World and Olympic champion soccer player (San Dimas)
• Barry Bonds – All-Star MLB player (Riverside)
• Bill Walsh – All-Time Great NFL coach (Los Angeles)
• Bill Walton – Hall of Fame NBA player (La Mesa)
• Billie Jean King – All-Time Great tennis player (Long Beach)
• Bobby Bonds – All-Star MLB player (Riverside)
• Brandi Chastain – World and Olympic champion soccer player (San Jose)
• Brian Boitano – World and Olympic champion figure skater (Mountain View)
• Bruce Bowen – 3x champion NBA player (Merced)
• Carson Palmer – Pro Bowl NFL player (Fresno)
• DeMar DeRozan – All-Star NBA player (Compton)
• Dennis Eckersley – Hall of Fame MLB player (Oakland)
• Don Drysdale – Hall of Fame MLB player (Van Nuys)
• Dustin Pedroia – All-Star MLB player (Woodland)
• Eddie Murray – Hall of Fame MLB player (Los Angeles)
• Frank Gifford – Hall of Fame NFL player (Santa Monica)
• Gary Payton – Hall of Fame NBA player (Oakland)
• James Harden – All-Star NBA player (Los Angeles)
• Jason Kidd – Hall of Fame NBA player (San Francisco)
• Jeff Gordon – Hall of Fame NASCAR driver (Vallejo)
• Jerry Jones – Hall of Fame NFL owner (Los Angeles)
• Jim Plunkett – Hall of Fame NFL player (San Jose)
• Jimmie Johnson – 7x NASCAR Cup Series champion driver (El Cajon)
• Joe Cronin – Hall of Fame MLB player (San Francisco)
• Joe DiMaggio – All-Time Great MLB player (Martinez)
• Kawhi Leonard – All-Star NBA player (Los Angeles)
• Kerri Walsh Jennings – All-Time Great beach volleyball player (Santa Clara)
• Kevin Love – All-Star NBA player (Santa Monica)
• Keyshawn Johnson – Pro Bowl NFL player (Los Angeles)
• Klay Thompson – All-Star NBA player (Los Angeles)
• Kristi Yamaguchi – World and Olympic champion figure skater (Hayward)
• Lance Briggs – Pro Bowl NFL player (Los Angeles)
• Landon Donovan – American soccer player (Ontario)
• Lefty O’Doul – Hall of Fame MLB player (San Francisco)
• Lindsay Davenport – Hall of Fame tennis player (Palos Verdes)
• Marcus Allen – Hall of Fame NFL player (San Diego)
• Mark McGwire – All-Star MLB player (Pomona)
• Mark Spitz – World and Olympic champion swimmer (Modesto)
• Maureen Connolly – Hall of Fame tennis player (San Diego)
• Michelle Kwan – World champion figure skater (Torrance)
• Mike Holmgren – Super Bowl champion NFL coach (San Francisco)
• Missy Franklin – World and Olympic champion swimmer (Pasadena)
• Misty May-Treanor – All-Time Great beach volleyball player (Los Angeles)
• Natalie Coughlin – World and Olympic champion swimmer (Vallejo)
• J. Simpson – Hall of Fame NFL player (San Francisco)
• Oscar De La Hoya – All-Time Great boxer (Los Angeles)
• Paul Pierce – All-Star NBA player (Oakland)
• Pete Carroll – Super Bowl/National Champion football coach (San Francisco)
• Pete Rozelle – Hall of Fame NFL commissioner (South Gate)
• Randy Johnson – All-Time Great MLB player (Walnut Creek)
• Reggie Miller – Hall of Fame NBA player (Riverside)
• Ron Mix – Hall of Fame NFL player (Los Angeles)
• Russell Westbrook – All-Star NBA player (Long Beach)
• Ryan Braun – All-Star MLB player (Los Angeles)
• Shaun White – Olympic and X-Games champion athlete (San Diego)
• Ted Williams – All-Time Great MLB player (San Diego)
• Tedy Bruschi – 3x Super Bowl champion NFL player (San Francisco)
• Terrell Davis – Hall of Fame NFL player (San Diego)
• Tiger Woods – All-Time Great golfer (Cypress)
• Tom Brady – All-Time Great NFL player (San Mateo)
• Tom Seaver – Hall of Fame MLB player (Fresno)
• Tony Gwynn – All-Time Great MLB player (Los Angeles)
• Tony Hawk – All-Time Great skateboarder (San Diego)
• Tony Lazzeri – Hall of Fame MLB player (San Francisco)
• Trevor Hoffman – Hall of Fame MLB player (Bellflower)
• Venus Williams – Grand Slam champion tennis player (Lynwood)

Legal Minimum Gambling Age in California

In California, a resident must be at least 18 years of age to meet the minimum gambling age requirement in the state to play at a casino. However, casinos that serve alcohol require residents to be at least 21 to enter.

Other Forms of Legal 18+ Gambling in California

California residents who are 18 and up can bet real money on the lottery, poker, bingo, and at racetracks. Again, local establishments set their own minimum age requirement as long as it’s above age 18 and must set the minimum age to 21 if alcohol is served.

Additional Resources

If you or someone you know has developed problem gambling habits in California, please contact the California Council on Problem Gambling for immediate help.

If you’ve been trying to identify the best California sports betting sites, your search is over.

Here, we’ve established the leading online sportsbooks for players from the Golden State.

Compiling our rankings for the top CA betting sites is a team effort. And we have a great team. We’re all passionate sports bettors with lots of experience of gambling online. We know exactly what to look for when trying to find the best sports betting sites, and you can benefit from that.

Betting with the best online sportsbooks and bookmakers is a great experience. The same cannot be said for some other sports gambling sites on the web. So, if you want to get the best from your online sports betting, our list of the best sports betting sites for California is exactly what you need.

Pick one or more of these sites for placing your real money sports wagers and you can’t go wrong. They’re all top quality. Importantly, they’re also very reputable and completely trustworthy.

Our Method For Ranking CA Sports Betting Sites

We’ve developed an advanced system for ranking online sports betting sites that allows us to recommend only those sites that meet the highest of standard.

We evaluate numerous gambling sites in a number of key areas, and the sites that receive the highest marks across the board are ranked accordingly.

This is something of a simplified explanation, but that’s it in a nutshell. Here are a few more details on some of the things we look at and why.

As you might imagine, many gambling sites are specifically designed for residents of certain countries. When we are looking for the best California betting sites, we seek out operators that actively cater for people in the United States.

This isn’t as much of a no-brainer as it may seem, because there are online gamblers in other English-speaking areas like Great Britain and Australia. While it’s true that you can understand the content perfectly, the website’s sports betting opportunities might not be consistent with your preferences.

Punters in these countries are primarily interested in gaming options that are popular there. And the preferences for Americans are quite different in some instances.

There’s also the matter of currency. Exchange rates are different, so a player in California should wager on a site that primarily uses the US dollar.

Keep in mind, also, that there are various service providers that facilitate financial transactions over the internet but don’t offer banking methods for certain locations.

We take all of this into account when we develop our ratings. It’ll be easy for Americans to deposit funds at any of the best California sports betting sites that we have identified.

There are multiple different options, including Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. They may also accept gift cards and ACH transfers.

Online Sports Betting California

It’s just as easy to withdraw your winnings, and most methods provide fast turnarounds on withdrawal requests. If you use Bitcoin, the transfers are usually instant.

You might be wondering if there’s anything that stops an online sportsbook from simply disappearing with your money. This is a legitimate concern, because a site could easily engage in sketchy practices.

But when you stick to the sports betting websites on our list of preferred operators, you won’t have to worry.

We stay up to date on the requirements for online gambling licenses around the world. This is one of the most important factors we consider to determine the legitimacy of a given site.

Sometimes you need to discuss an issue or concern with a representative of your chosen sports gambling site. This is another of the great strengths of the online bookmaker and sportsbooks that we recommend. They all provide good customer service

You can speak with a representative by phone. Some are even available to take calls around the clock. Live chat is another great option, along with email correspondence. These sites respond to inquiries very quickly and focus on timely and efficient resolutions.

Because it’s costly to obtain a reputable online gambling license, the people behind betting sites have to think in terms of long-term profit. Of course, you don’t start a business because you expect to hang around for a year or two then shut down.

As we all know, a lot of businesses with passionate, motivated owners simply fall by the wayside every day. The online sports betting industry is no different in this regard.

Having the right license is a huge factor for us to consider, but the test of time may be even more important. When an online sportsbook has been holding its ground for an extended period of time, you know that they’re likely doing everything they can to retain their customer base and build on it.

An established reputation is also a key indicator. When people share their opinions about a site, you can come away with a profound impression.

There are message boards designed to serve the online gambling community, and our people visit them regularly to keep up. We also have several professional connections within the industry, and all relevant information is shared within our network.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you were given hundreds or thousands of dollars after walking into a brick and mortar casino for the first time? That sounds like a far-fetched notion, but it’s routinely done at the CA betting sites we listed above.

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After receiving your sign-up bonus, the extra incentives don’t disappear. The best sports betting sites continue to post promotions that center around upcoming tournaments or events.

You don’t have to limit yourself to a single bonus as a new player. If you make deposits at more than one online sportsbook, you can rake in several bonuses.

Online Betting Options for Different Sports

When you make a deposit and place your bets at one of the top California betting websites, you’ll have a wide range of sporting events and wagering options. Though it’s a virtual environment, the offerings are pretty much identical to the general scheme you would find at any Las Vegas sportsbook.

Of course, some people have never ventured into a physical sportsbook. If you’re one of them, you wouldn’t know what to expect, so we will provide the rundown.

In the US, the sport that takes the most betting action is American football. Nearly 40% of people polled named football as their favorite sport, with basketball as a distant second.

Most people make their football bets against the point spread, but this is not your only option. You could bet on the point spread, the moneyline, or totals.

At the best California sports betting sites there are also teaser bets, in-game wagering, and futures bets. Proposition bets may be available over the course of the season.

Typically, you’re able to wager on all the NFL games, and the majority of NCCAA football games.

Once you review and understand the different types of wagers, you have a solid foundation, you’ll notice that the same options are offered for other sports with some variations.

College and NBA basketball bets are identical to football with just a small tweak. In basketball, there are 6-point, 6 ½-point, and 7 ½-point teasers available. The fewer points you take, the higher the potential payout.

In basketball, the teaser points you can choose from are not that high, typically between 4 and 6 points.

There are some similarities and a few differences when it comes to Major League Baseball betting conventions. Straight bets on sides are traditionally made on the moneyline, but when there’s a very big favorite, you’re looking at a negative value.

One way to get around this would be to play a parlay with multiple teams that are very likely to win their games. Even if all of the teams are laying big minus money individually, when you combine multiple betting interests, the payout odds become much more palatable.

While there’s no betting against a variable spread that is determined based on the matchup, there’s a run line option. This will always be set at 1 ½ runs, so the favorite must win by at least two runs, and a bet on the underdog would be a winner even if they lose by a single run.

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As for the anticipated payout on a winning run line bet, sportsbooks set a moneyline that varies depending on the perceived strength of each side.

Basketball and football are pretty much right in line when it comes to betting structures, and the same could be said for baseball and hockey.

NHL options mirror the Major League Baseball wagers that are available. This would include the run line, but for hockey it is called the “puck line.”

The best California sports betting sites post lines on a number of different sports outside of the “big four.” NASCAR fans are as passionate as it gets, and online sportsbooks post odds on each driver to win the respective events. You can also place wagers on major IndyCar races.

Odds on the winner of major tennis tournaments and golf tournaments are posted, along with boxing, MMA fights, and soccer. It’s interesting to note that any site that calls the sport “soccer” rather than “football” is almost certainly designed for the US market.

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State-Regulated Sports Betting in California

Unless you’ve been living under the proverbial rock, you should be aware of the fact that a Supreme Court ruling on sports gambling was handed down in 2018 that had a profound affect on gambling laws in the United States.

To refresh your memory, it started with the state of New Jersey legalizing the practice in 2012. The voters decided they were in favor of sportsbooks in the existing casinos in Atlantic City along with the state-licensed horse racing tracks.

The major sports leagues and the NCAA have always been adamantly against sports gambling, because they are concerned about game fixing and point shaving.

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These entities filed a lawsuit to prevent sportsbooks from opening in the Garden State. As a premise, they used the federal law that prohibits wagering on sporting events that was enacted in 1992. They were victorious in the lower courts, and the state’s attorneys filed appeals.

That’s how the matter made its way to the highest court in the land, where the Supreme Court found it to be unconstitutional.

They specifically cited the 10^th Amendment that ensures the rights for states to make their own laws as long as there is no constitutional infringement.

Since New Jersey already had a law spelling out the regulatory parameters, they had sportsbooks up and running shortly after the landmark ruling. Several other states followed their lead, but the vast majority of them have not taken advantage of this opportunity.

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California is not at the top of the “next up” list for legalization of brick and mortar sportsbooks, but many legislators are supportive. There’s going to be a sports gaming referendum on the ballot in 2020, so voters will decide if their state should move forward.

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If they pass the referendum, there will be another time-consuming phase that will delay the opening of sportsbooks. All the regulatory details must be hashed out and agreed upon by the legislature and the governor, so Californians will not be visiting local sportsbooks any time soon.

There’s a lot to digest on this page, so we will leave you with some summarized takeaways. We conducted in-depth research to evaluate all of the contenders while evaluating the best California sports betting sites. Our list has been carefully prepared based on relevant data.

You can trust the sites on every level, and they go the extra mile to provide world-class customer service. All of these online sportsbooks are specifically designed to suit the needs of American players.

States have the right to regulate and license sports betting facilities, and California is slowly moving in that direction, but it will take a while. And in the meantime, our approved sites will always be available to take your real money sports wagers.