Believe it or not, fans in the Golden State can get in on California sports betting action – you just need to know where to go. Yes, that’s right, despite multiple bills that have failed to pass, sports betting in California is still possible through sites that are based outside the USA.
And best of all, these California sportsbooks have great odds, markets, and bonuses that put sportsbooks in states with regulated markets to shame. Let’s take a look at what’s on offer.
$250 in Free Bets and 100 Free Spins
Welcome Bonus of 125% up to $1,250 Bonus Code: BIGACTION
50% match bonus up to $250
150% Welcome Bonus Package
100% Welcome Bonus up to $1,000
It used to be that you’d have to drive to Las Vegas in order to bet and win big on the biggest games or your favorite teams.
But in the internet age, we can bet on sports from anywhere and at any time of day, even in California where the various propositions haven’t quite gone in US-licensed sportsbooks’ favor.
With that in mind, here are some of the best options if you are trying to bet on sports in California.
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Yes and no. There are tons of horse-racing tracks, and even off-track California betting apps, where you can put down their money either online or at horse-racing establishments like Santa Anita Park, Del Mar or Los Alamitos.
You can also take part in betting-style games like daily fantasy sports or sweepstakes social casinos. But traditional retail sports betting in the Golden State has not yet been legalized, which means U.S.-based California betting apps and websites are not available right now.
Otherwise, can you sports bet in California? As we’ve explored, offshore sportsbooks have been available in the Golden State for a long time now and there are no legal restrictions on accessing them for sports gambling in California.
Sports betting has been all over ballots in the Golden State, most notably when there was an aggressive push to legalize the practice in Fall 2022.
There were two sports-betting-related measures on the statewide election ballots that year, Prop 26 and Prop 27. But neither passed, which sent state-licensed sports betting into limbo unlike its neighboring state as Arizona sports betting continues to thrive.
Local California tribes have also opposed commercial operators entering the state. Instead, they would prefer a similar approach to sports betting in Florida where all wagering is controlled by tribal groups.
Below is a brief timeline of the attempts to legalize California sports betting in recent years, and a glimpse into why there has not been any significant progress.
When will sports betting be legalized in California? That is the million dollar question. In early 2023, major sports betting operator DraftKing’s CEO Jason Robins said, “I don’t think it’s [California sports betting] is a 2024 thing.” He’s certainly been proven right on that one.
More recently, California sports betting expert Richard Schuetz and Indian Gaming Association Conference Chair Victor Rocha have been aligned in predicting that 2028 could be the year for legal online sports betting in California.
With gambling booming in neighboring states Nevada and Arizona to the east, California’s legislators and tribes will surely have to find a compromise sooner rather than later if the Golden State is to avoid missing out on taxation.
There are various types of new-player offers and promos for existing players as well. Here are a few of the most popular ones and how each works.
A first-deposit match or deposit bonus is an excellent new-user promo that gives you a certain percentage of site credit that matches the initial deposit amount
For example, if you have a 100% first-deposit match up to $1,000, the CA sportsbook will match your deposit up to a maximum of $1,000. So if you deposit $500 you’ll get $500 in site credit.
Some sites that offer sports betting in California will refund your wager stake if it fails. Opt in and if your initial wager is unsuccessful you’ll get a second bet equal to the first up to a certain amount. No-sweat bets can be for any given amount from $10 all the way up to $1,000 or even more.
A less-prominent offer among offshore sportsbooks, the bet and get gives players a specific amount of site credit after placing a minimum initial first wager.
For instance, if you deposit $10 then make a first wager of $5, you’ll get a specific amount of bonus bets whether that initial wager is successful or not.
In an odds boost, sportsbooks are giving you more valuable odds than the standard odds.
Odds boosts can work in one of two ways: curated boosts or custom boosts. In a curated boost, a sportsbook will create either a parlay or single wager and make the odds more valuable, giving you a bigger payout if it hits.
The other type of odds boost is when books invite you to create your own custom parlay or boosted single bets – typically done so as a percentage. For example if you wanted to bet a team to win on the moneyline at -120 but have a 30 percent boost, you can get it at +138.
Odds boosts are one of the rare ways a CA sportsbook can differentiate itself from the competition. Since many sportsbooks in California offer odds boosts every day, it’s worth having money in multiple accounts, just in case you can get the odds boosted on your favorite wager anyway.
Parlay insurance is another promotion CA sports betting sites use to promote betting among users. Typically in parlay insurance, you would get your stakes refunded if the wager is unsuccessful.
Be sure to read the fine print because some parlay insurance is only unlocked with minimum odds – sometimes as long as +400. There are also sometimes other criteria required to receive the bonus bet, so make sure to check all the requirements before diving into a long-odds wager.
Each California online sports betting site has a ton of great markets, and they all have their benefits. You really can’t go wrong with any of them, but you should go with the one that best fits your sports betting needs.
Here’s a look at the features from the best online sportsbooks.
| Sportsbook | Live Sports Betting | Loyalty/VIP Program | Casino | Full Racebook |
| BetOnline | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Bovada | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| BetWhale | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| BetNow | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Everygame | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| MyBookie | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| CoinPoker | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| BetUS | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Sportsbetting.ag | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Xbet | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Each of the sportsbooks listed on this page have comparable and fairly standard wagering types. Here are the most common bets you can place at these California sportsbooks.
Moneyline wagers are simply which team wins and loses. A sportsbook will give you corresponding odds – the favorite will always have a minus before its number, and the underdog will typically have a plus.
The wager is simple. Pick which team wins, and you win too.
Points spread betting is when you bet on the margin by which a team will win or lose a game, rather than just the outcome. The sportsbook sets a “spread,” and you choose whether the favored team will win by more than the spread (covering) or whether the underdog will lose by fewer points or win outright (beating the spread).
If the final score lands exactly on the spread, it’s considered a “push,” and the bet is refunded.
A totals bet is a bet on the number of points in a game. Sportsbooks will give users a predetermined number of points/runs/goals, and you must decide if the score will be over or under the number.
Prop wagers are those that are not tied to the final outcome. There are a few varieties of prop bets, namely game props and player props. Game props are those that are tied to the game – like whether a game will go to overtime or how many points will be scored in the first quarter. Player props are wagering on players to produce either more or fewer in a stat category like points, hits, or assists.
Futures bets are wagers on long-term outcomes like championships, division titles or conference titles or to make the playoffs or surpass a predetermined number of wins in the season.
Futures wagers can be tough because they can take a while to pay out – hence the name “futures”. But if you are right, and can practice patience, they’re worth the long odds that come with them.
Parlays are multi-leg wagers where every leg is required to hit in order for the wager to win.
There are a few varieties of parlay bets, including same-game parlays – multi-leg bets that feature prop wagers along with the total or an outcome from a single event. Some sportsbooks will even give users same-game parlay+ bets, where players may combine same-game parlays.
But traditionally, parlays are multi-leg wagers where you combine multiple outcomes like moneylines, spreads, totals and more. Since it can be tough to get multiple legs to hit, there are long odds with parlays.
Round robins are a type of parlay wager too where you don’t need every leg to hit to be successful. But to account for the shorter odds, you would need to put out an enhanced stake while round robin betting, depending how many of wagers can hit.
Californians tend to play more sports than any other state in the U.S. – seriously, Golden State high schools offer water polo and beach volleyball, just to name a few.
Plus, there are more pro NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA and MLS teams in California than any other state in the country.
Here are some of the high-profile pro and college sports and teams that Californians can bet on
MLB ⚾
NBA 🏀
NHL 🏒
NFL 🏈
Esports 🎮
MLS ⚽
NCAA Football/Basketball 🎓
We have already outlined some of the key features of any sportsbook, and will categorize the best California betting sites by sport in the next section.
However, below is an overview of some of the factors to consider when you are weighing up which California sportsbook to join.
Each sportsbook in California listed on this page is a solid option for betting on all sports, but some are a little better than other when it comes to a specific sport. Here are some of our favorites.
Each sportsbook listed above is tailor-made for NFL betting, since football is the most popular North American sport to wager. But our favorite sportsbook to wager NFL is BetOnline, since it is usually the first sportsbook with odds and super-speedy payouts.
The NBA is arguably the most popular sport in California, especially to bet, and all of our recommended sportsbooks do a great job of covering the game. But BetWhale has props, futures and competitive moneylines for NBA, WNBA, and NCAA basketball games that are hard to beat.
Everygame is the best betting platform for baseball betting, since the sportsbook gives great odds and props for baseball. There are also some great exclusive promos for select games that could see you land bigger profits just by opting in. These can even include free bet specials.
Yes, we’re back to Bovada once again and with good reason. This California sports betting site has some great odds on all NHL games thanks to its reduced juice offer. This means that the sportsbook takes a lower commission on NHL bets giving you better odds and more profits.
If you’re looking to wager on U.S. politics then BetUS is the option because it has presidential elections from the U.S., election betting for the U.K. and even covers political markets around the world. There are even some fun and custom props to get in on.
Each CA sportsbook on this page offers card and crypto banking options as a minimum while some also offer support for eWallets and online banking. All are solid deposit methods but when it comes to payouts, there’s one clear winner.
We’re talking instant payouts through crypto at some of the CA sportsbooks we recommend which is pretty impressive. There are even sites that offer no KYC betting meaning that you don’t need to provide ID to sign up and place bets.
Sure, there may be a slight learning curve but all in all, crypto seems to be the way to go.
Online sports betting in California may seem all about gut and hunches, but there’s a method to it too. Here are some tips.
Sports betting in California may seem tricky since local lawmakers haven’t gotten behind state-regulated sports betting. This is despite numerous opportunities to advance bills that could have made U.S.-regulated books available to Californians.
This means that online sports betting in California is only available at offshore sites. Signing up for an offshore account, depositing and placing a wager is just as easy as betting with any other sportsbook in the U.S. and there are no legal restrictions on these sites in the state of California.
We regard BetOnline as the best option for sports betting in California, due to its generous welcome bonus, competitive odds, and incredible depth of California sports betting markets.
Related Guides
Arizona Sports Betting & Best AZ Sportsbooks 2024
There are currently over a dozen legal Arizona sports betting brands. But did you know that better options can be found offshore? We’ll explain exactly how that works in this comprehensive guide. We’ll even take a look at the best promotions, payment methods and betting markets. But first, here’s a list of the leading sportsbooks […]
Best Offshore Sportsbooks in the USA for 2024
Did you know that when you wager at the best offshore sportsbooks you’ll get better value odds and more market coverage? They also offer bigger bonuses and faster payouts than state-licensed brands. We’ll share our top rated offshore sportsbook reviews you can join that are legal and available in the majority of US states. Plus […]
Best Soccer Betting Sites for December 2024
Despite the game not being one of the ‘big four’, there are tons of soccer betting sites right here in the USA. These sites cover everything from the MLS through to the world’s most popular league, the English Premier League. In this guide, we’ll tell you just what it takes to rank as a top […]
Best Sports Betting Sites in the US for 2024
The best sports betting sites in the US offer a huge variety of markets, great odds, and exciting promotions. We’ll help you find the right sportsbook by taking a look at bonuses, bet types, payment options, and coverage of the country’s most popular sports. But first, here’s a run-through of the best online sportsbooks for […]
CardPlayer.com is the world’s oldest and most well-respected poker magazine and online gambling guide.
Since 1988, CardPlayer has provided poker and casino players with poker strategy, news, and results while also
covering anything related to casino gambling: how to play casino games, strategies, and online casino
recommendations. Today, CardPlayer.com is the best poker and gambling information portal for free poker and
casino content, offering online poker site and casino reviews and exclusive online gambling bonus deals.
We offer daily poker and casino news, poker professionals’ blogs and tweets, exclusive gambling videos,
thousands of free gambling articles, as well as coverage from all major poker tournaments in the world. You
can also find poker player profiles, casino game rules, tournament poker results, reviews of the best online
casinos and sports betting platforms, strategy articles, poker magazines, poker tools, and poker training
resources.
Ever wonder who is the best poker player in the world? Check out our Poker Player of the Year race, as well
as years of data of poker player results and casino poker tournament pay-outs.
Copyright © 2001-2024
CardPlayer.com. All rights reserved.
