Best California Sports Betting Sites

California Sports Betting Overview

There are no state-regulated sportsbooks in California. A proposal in 2024 did not gain enough traction to make it to the Senate, so sports betting is off the table for California until at least 2026.

For that reason, you need to use a trusted offshore sportsbook if you want to bet on sports in the Golden State. There are no laws that would prevent you from doing so, and we can help you find legit, reputable betting sites that accept Californians.

How Old Do I Have to Be to Wager on Sports in California?

California does not have a regulated sports industry, so it does not impose a minimum legal age. However, offshore sportsbooks that accept bettors located in California will require you to be at least 18 years of age to create an account and place wagers.

Best Sportsbooks Available in California

Our experts have tested out all the leading online sports betting sites that accept customers from California. We compared the sportsbooks against one another, and we found that these are the best sites for anyone interested in sports gambling in California:

Best Sports Betting Site for Californians

BetOnline

100% up to $1,000 Welcome Bonus

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Casino Games: Slots, Video poker, Blackjack +5 more Craps, Baccarat, Roulette, Live dealer, Progressive jackpot.

Live Dealer: No

Payment Options: Visa, MasterCard, American Express +14 more Bitcoins, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Interac e-Transfer, Person2Person Transfers, Money Order, Bank Transfer, Check, Cardano, Dogecoin, Ripple, Tether, Usdt.

BetOnline is the best sports betting site that accepts customers in California. It covers more than 25 sports, from auto racing and badminton to volleyball and wrestling. You can also bet on politics, entertainment, lottery, financials, esports, virtual sports, and fixed-odds horse racing futures.

The coverage of major sports like football, baseball, and basketball at BetOnline is very impressive. It offers a ton of props on NFL, MLB, and NBA games, and its college football and basketball coverage is also strong. Hockey fans can benefit from reduced juice NHL lines, and it takes wagers on action from across the globe too.

BetOnline has very wide betting limits, so it should cater to all players in the Golden State. You can make a $20 deposit and bet $1 on a game, or you can deposit up to $500,000 via Bitcoin and use the re-bet feature to place huge wagers. It is a feature-rich site, which offers high-quality software, live streaming, stats, and other services.

There are loads of bonuses too, including a welcome bonus worth up to $1,000, reload bonuses, odds boosts, free bets, free-to-play contests, paid contests, VIP rewards, and much more. Additional benefits include same day payouts, 24/7 customer service, and a trustworthy reputation established over more than 25 years of operations, so this is a strong all-rounder for Californian bettors.

• All-in-one casino and sportsbook with excellent live poker rooms
• 100% welcome bonus up to $1000 can be claimed up to three times
• Excellent range of deposit methods including crypto, credit cards, and transfers
• Free deposits and withdrawals with Bitcoin and other cryptos
• Dedicated racebook with live betting
• Wide range of video poker and obscure/ specialty games
• Available to players in all 50 US states

• Bonus turnovers are as high as 45x
• Limited options for non-cryptocurrency withdrawals
• 9.75% charges on deposits made with cards

Best Sportsbook for Budding Bettors

BetUS

125% up to $2,625 Welcome Bonus

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Casino Games: Blackjack, Slots, Video poker +2 more Roulette, Baccarat.

Live Dealer: Yes

Payment Options: Visa, MasterCard, American Express +7 more American Express, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Ethereum, Bank Transfer, Bankwire, Check.

BetUS is the best online sportsbook for beginners in California. The sign-up form is very straightforward, and it is easy to fund your new account with a credit card, debit card, or crypto. You will receive a huge welcome bonus when you make your first deposit too – worth up to $3,125 in bonus credits, plus additional risk-free bets.

The BetUS interface is easy to navigate. It has fewer betting options than BetOnline, which may appeal to beginners, who are still finding their feet. Pro handicappers give out picks on the site via a blog called the Locker Room and a series of videos at BetUS TV, which can help guide your wagering decisions. The payout process is quick and easy too, and the customer service is world-class.

• Several different welcome bonus options including a 200% crypto bonus
• 300+ casino games, including slots and live-dealer
• Sports Betting options include: pro football, college football, live betting and more
• Same-day payouts up to $5000

• Limited time (14 days) to clear bonus playthrough requirements
• Money you wager on casino games does not count towards the loyalty program
• BetUS is not available in Washington state

Best Sports Betting Site for International Sports

MyBookie

100% up to $1,000 Welcome Bonus

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Casino Games: Slots, Video poker, Blackjack +4 more Baccarat, Roulette, Keno, Scratch tickets.

Live Dealer: No

Payment Options: Visa, MasterCard, Bitcoins +10 more Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether, Cardano, Dogecoin, MoneyGram, Person2Person Transfers, eCheck, Bank Transfer.

This is the best sportsbook for Californians that want to bet on sporting events taking place around the world. MyBookie provides very strong soccer coverage, for instance, ranging from major leagues like the Premier League and La Liga to niche games in Paraguay.

It also offers more betting options on worldwide sports like rugby, Aussie Rules, biathlon, handball, futsal, darts, cricket, and snooker than rival sites. There are loads of betting options on those sports. This is another established, reliable sportsbook that provides secure payouts. It covers all the big American professional and college leagues, too.

• Casino and sports betting site offering the best of both worlds
• Sports betting bonus of 100% up to $1,000
• Wide range of cryptocurrency banking options including Bitcoin
• 130+ slots from BetSoft, Nucleus Gaming, BGaming, and more
• Impressive selection of table games including craps and rummy

• High turnover requirements on casino bonuses
• No live dealer poker games, just an online poker room

Best Sportsbook for Californians That Use Crypto

BC Game

360% up to $100,000 Welcome Bonus

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Casino Games: Slots, Blackjack, Baccarat +3 more Live dealer, Video poker, Arcade.

Live Dealer: No

Payment Options: Bitcoins, Ethereum, Ripple +4 more Tether, Dogecoin, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash.

BC.Game is an excellent choice for crypto users in California. It offers a modern, polished interface, with world-class features and a huge array of wagering options. The software provides a stark contrast to rivals like BetNow and MyBookie, as it is very sophisticated by comparison.

You can choose from more than 100 cryptocurrencies, including some pretty obscure altcoins, when making deposits and withdrawals. The site has two native tokens too. There is a welcome bonus worth up to 20,000 USDT, along with lots of recurring promotions.

• Over 7000 casino games and a comprehensive sports book
• 100+ cryptocurrencies to choose from
• Online betting community in live chat
• Anonymous gambling feature

• Withdrawal fees
• Live chat takes an hour to reply

Best Racebook for Californians

BetNow

100% up to $1,000 Welcome Bonus

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Casino Games: Slots, Blackjack, Roulette +4 more Baccarat, Craps, Video poker, Live dealer.

Live Dealer: Yes

Payment Options: MasterCard, Bitcoins, Visa +2 more American Express, Bitcoin Cash.

BetNow is our top choice for horseplayers in California. It offers a comprehensive pari-mutuel wagering platform alongside its online sportsbook. You can bet on races from more than 70 tracks in the United States, including local racetracks such as Santa Anita and Del Mar, along with international action from Europe, South Africa, Australia, and Asia.

Thoroughbred and harness racing are covered extensively at BetNow. There is a weekly horse rebate available that earns you 10% back on any net losses you might potentially incur during a week.

BetNow is a reliable online gambling site with dependable payouts and strong customer support, so it is popular among bettors in California.

• Flexible welcome bonuses
• Weekly NFL, MLB and NBA contests with $10,000 giveaways
• Comprehensive sportsbook with great odds
• Great live dealer casino
• Variety of banking options including multiple cryptocurrencies

• Lacking slots and table game variety
• Payout fees and restrictions on some banking options
• Outdated UI design

California Betting Sites: A Comparison

Here’s a look at how our favorite betting sites stack up against one another:

How We Evaluate Sports Betting Sites in California

We take several factors into account when evaluating online sportsbooks that welcome players based in California. Here are the most important criteria in our appraisal process:

Availability in California

First and foremost, a sportsbook must accept players located in the Golden State. Operators like BetOnline, BetUS and MyBookie are licensed and regulated overseas, but they actively welcome bettors from the United States, including California. You can make deposits, claim bonuses, place bets and get paid out in USD at these sites.

Sports Betting Promotions and Contests

Bonuses and promotions are important when assessing the value that a sportsbook offers its customers. We delve into the variety of promos offered at each site, along with the size of each bonus and the wagering requirements attached to it. Good promotions provide a lot of value with reasonable playthrough requirements and timeframes.

Player Protection

Player security is another key aspect in our review process. We only recommend established online sportsbooks that have proven their ability to keep players safe over a prolonged period of time – several decades in the case of BetOnline and BetUS. They have robust TLS encryption measures, and take extra Know Your Customer measures to prevent fraud.

Competitive Lines and Odds Boosts

Leading sports betting sites like BetOnline, BetUS and MyBookie do not charge more than the standard juice on their lines – typically -110 on either side of a wager – and they sometimes offer reduced juice. Some sportsbooks offer odds boosts too. If so, we assess the value that those boosts provide. For example, they are not particularly attractive if they are applied to long-shot parlays that always fall apart. The best odds boosts are applied to straight bets on big games.

Is Sports Betting Legal in California?

Sports betting has not yet been legalized at a local level in California. Two rival propositions were added to the ballot in November 2022, but voters rejected both of them after a high-profile battle between their sponsors.

A large group of tribes backed Prop. 26, which sought to legalize retail sports betting only. The plan was to restrict sportsbooks to tribal casinos and racetracks. Meanwhile, seven sports betting operators – FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Wynn, Penn National, Bally’s, and Fanatics – came up with a different proposal: Prop. 27. It aimed to legalize both online and commercial sports wagering.

However, more than 50 tribes launched the “No on 27” coalition, and they campaigned furiously against online sports wagering. They claimed it would damage the revenue they earn from their casinos, threatening their economic health. The rival factions spent $460 million promoting their measures and attacking the rival measures via a series of high-profile ads on TV, print, and social media. Voters received a range of conflicting messages, and they ended up rejecting both ballot measures.

Another ballot effort was brought up in 2024, but faced the same resistance. James Siva, the chairman of the California Nation Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA) feels that sports betting will be legalized, but not until 2028. The slow road to sports betting in California is not without hope, though, as Super Bowl LXI is slated to take place at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in 2027. Having a regulated sports betting marketing by then would mean millions in revenue for the state. At the very least, SB LXI would light a fire under legislators to get the ball rolling.

Online Sports Betting in California

The electorate rejected Prop. 27 by a huge margin in November 2022, with 83.3% of Californians voting against it. The sportsbooks spent around $170 million on their campaign, but it was not enough to convince voters to approve it.

As such, the only option for anyone in California who wants to bet online is to use an offshore sportsbook. There are no laws to stop you from doing so. Just make sure you use trusted, reliable sites like BetOnline and BetUS, which have been paying out and grading bets correctly for decades.

Land-Based Sportsbooks in California

Prop. 26 did not fare much better when Californians went to the ballot boxes. The proposal was rejected by 70.1% to 29.9%. The tribes spent hundreds of millions of dollars on commercials in 2022, but most of it went to attacking Prop. 27. Meanwhile, California’s card rooms invested $44 million in ads criticizing Prop. 26, as they feared it would diminish their economic prospects, and that only increased the confusion.

The quick answer is that there are still no land-based sportsbooks in California. To place wagers at a brick-and-mortar sportsbook, you will need to visit Nevada, Arizona, or Oregon. However, it is much quicker and easier to use an online sportsbook based overseas.

Horse Racing in California

Pari-mutuel horse racing bets are legal in California. You can wager at a racetrack, such as Santa Anita Park, or at an off-track betting (OTB) parlor. Online pari-mutuel wagering is also legal. However, California does not permit fixed-odds betting on horse racing, so you cannot place futures bets on races like the Kentucky Derby. To do so, you must use an offshore site like BetOnline.

Daily Fantasy Sports in California

You can take part in DFS contests in California. Like many states, it does not explicitly permit or prohibit DFS sites. They operate in a legal gray area, which means you can use them, but the state does not gain any tax revenue from them.

Most DFS operators accept customers in the Golden State. DraftKings, and FanDuel dominate the market, but you can also use smaller operators like Underdog and Prize Picks.

California’s Sports Betting Laws Compared to Neighboring States

California has stricter sports betting laws than any of its neighbors. Arizona permits commercial sportsbooks, along with online sportsbooks at a local level. Operators simply need to team up with local tribes or professional sports teams to launch. State law permits up to 20 sports betting licenses, split evenly among teams (or venues like TPC Scottsdale) and tribes.

Oregon permits retail sportsbooks, as well. It only allows one state-regulated sportsbook to operate, which is run by DraftKings on behalf of the Oregon Lottery. Unfortunately, that does not lead to a diverse and competitive market, so many Oregonians use offshore sportsbooks instead. It is also worth noting that the local, lottery-run online sportsbook cannot take bets on college sports, which provides another clear reason to use sites like BetOnline and BetUS in Oregon.

Nevada hosts the country’s most famous retail sportsbooks. It also allows state-regulated online sportsbooks, but users need to register in-person at a brick-and-mortar casino. That is often inconvenient, so many bettors use offshore sites instead.

The Future of Online Sports Betting in California

There are two ways in which online sports betting could be legalized at a local level in California. It could be done via the legislature, which would require a lawmaker to launch a bill and gain the requisite support in the House and the Senate.

Alternatively, as was attempted in 2022, interested parties could gather 1 million or more signatures from Californians to place a measure on a future ballot. The measure would then need to gain approval when voters head to the ballot boxes.

However, it would be very difficult for any proposal to succeed. The Golden State is home to hundreds of powerful Native American tribes who control the land-based casino industry. They claim that their tribal compacts give them a monopoly over the state’s gambling market, so many have fiercely resisted expansion efforts, as they fear it would threaten their dominant position. For that reason, your only option is to use an offshore sportsbook, and that situation is unlikely to change any time soon.

Responsible Gambling in California

There are lots of resources out there if you are concerned about problem gambling in California. You can call or text the California Council on Problem Gambling helpline 24/7, and you can also access local support groups and Gamblers Anonymous meetings. They also offer tips, self-assessment quizzes, and other tools.

The top online sportsbooks also allow you to set bet limits, time limits, deposit limits, and loss limits on your account to keep your play in check. If you need support, these are some helpful resources:

• California Office of Problem Gambling
• California Council on Problem Gambling
• Gamblers Anonymous
• GamTalk
• National Council on Problem Gambling
• SAMHSA National Helpline

California Sports Betting Is Still a Long-Shot, But…

Even though California is a fairly liberal state, online and in-person sports betting has yet to be legalized. Measures to introduce a regulated market were thwarted in 2022 and 2024, but might be introduced again in 2026 or even 2028.

However, Californian gamblers can still use offshore sports betting sites such as BetOnline and BetUS. These sportsbooks often offer better bonuses, more competitive odds, and a variety of banking options that other gambling sites don’t. You’ll find betting options for all California-based sports teams, as well as college sports.