California Sports Betting

California has the largest population of any US state. As such, it is home to no less than 15 professional sports teams. Although legislation efforts are trailing behind other states, CA is perfect for legal sports betting. To date however, neither online nor retail sports betting are available in the Golden State, even though lawmakers submitted legislation before the US Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA). 

One of the main challenges is that before lawmakers can create any legislation, the question of legal sports betting has to pass the public vote on the ballot. In 2022, two propositions were on the November ballot with very different visions for legalizing sports betting.

The first was Proposition 26, which was pushed forward by the CA tribes. This initiative wanted to legalize retail sports betting at tribal casinos while banning the launch of online sports betting in the state for at least five years.

Proposition 27 was backed by seven major US gambling operators, DraftKings, FanDuel, Penn National Gaming, WynnBET, BetMGM, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming. This initiative wanted to launch online sports betting, available to players across the state but had no plans for retail betting. 

Both propositions failed to receive enough votes, so sports betting won’t be available in California until 2025 at the earliest. Read our expert guide below to discover the latest on sports betting in the Golden State, sports teams in CA, and legal betting in nearby states.

California Legislation Timeline

• July 2017: Assemblyman Adam Gray introduces a Constitutional Amendment, ACA 18, to lay the groundwork for sports betting in California. The proposal was designed as nothing more than a talking point as the tribes made it clear that they would not discuss sports betting until the resolution of the PASPA case. 
• May 14, 2018: PASPA is overturned by the US Supreme Court, ending Nevada’s effective monopoly on sports betting and allowing each state to legalize sports betting. 
• May 16, 2018: Gray reintroduces ACA 18 after PASPA is repealed. The bill fails to get the required traction and progresses no further. 
• June 27, 2019: Gray makes a third attempt to get sports betting onto a public ballot via constitutional amendment with the introduction of ACA 16. This proposed amendment coincides with a sports betting bill proposed by Senator Bill Dodd, SCA 6. The tribes announce discontent with the measures and declare intentions to launch a proposal. 
• November 16, 2019: 18 Californian tribes work together to file Initiative 19-0029, the California Sports Wagering Regulation and Unlawful Gambling Enforcement Act. The act seeks to legalize sports betting in tribal casinos and racetracks across the state. 
• January 22, 2020: The tribes are authorized to collect signatures for Initiative 19-0029 to put sports betting onto the November 2020 ballot. Initiative 19-0029 only allows retail sports betting and prohibits betting on California college teams. Just under one million signatures are required by June 25, 2020. 
• March 31, 2020: The Covid-19 pandemic forces the US to lockdown means the tribes can’t get enough signatures for Initiative 19-0029. Sen. Dodd also withdraws SCA 6 because of the pandemic. 
• June 2020: After taking legal action, the tribes are given an extension to get the required signatures for Initiative 19-0029.
• May 28, 2021: The Secretary of State of California, Shirley Weber, confirms Initiative 19-0029 has received over one million valid signatures, resulting in the proposal going to the ballot in November 2022. The proposal is now known as Proposition 26. 
• August 29, 2021: A joint proposal from various card rooms is put forward to allow legalized sports betting in California card rooms, Initiative 21-0009A1. This is also put forward to stop the tribes from creating a sports betting monopoly. 
• October 5, 2021: Eight US sportsbooks group together to submit Initiative 21-0017. Titled the California Solutions to Homelessness and Mental Health Support Act, this initiative proposes the legalization of state-wide online sports betting and contradicts Proposition 26. As with Proposition 26, just under one million signatures are required to get the initiative to the ballot. 
• April 2022: Initiative 21-0009A1 from the card rooms is withdrawn after not receiving the required number of votes.
• May 3, 2022: Initiative 21-0017 gains the required number of signatures and is put on the November 2022 ballot, known as Proposition 27. 
• August 2022: Many high-profile organizations speak for and against both sports betting propositions. The California Republican Party opposes both propositions, while the MLB supports Proposition 27. Meanwhile, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) publicly declares support for Proposition 26. By the end of August, over $360 million was spent on lobbying and advertising for the two propositions combined. 
• November 8, 2022: Following the November 2022 ballot, neither Proposition 26 nor Proposition 27 gets enough votes to pass. CA bettors will have to wait for the 2024 ballot before lawmakers can start legislating sports betting.

Popular Sports to Bet on in CA

California is home to more major league sports teams than any other US state. 15 teams play across the four big leagues. So if and when sports betting becomes legal in California, sports fans will have loads of exciting betting options.  

NFL Betting in California

California is currently home to three NFL teams, although this number has changed frequently over the past decade. The Los Angeles Rams moved back to Los Angeles in 2016 after spending two decades in St. Louis. This return quickly proved successful, with the Rams winning the Super Bowl in 2021, spearheaded by 3-time defensive MVP winner Aaron Donald. 

The Los Angeles Chargers also returned to LA in 2017, a year after the Rams’ return. The Chargers were previously based in LA for a year in 1960 before moving to San Diego. The Chargers are the only California team to have never won a Super Bowl. 

The San Francisco 49ers round up the Californian NFL teams, with this historic franchise winning five Super Bowls with all-time greats such as Joe Montana, Steve Young, and Jerry Rice. Up until 2020, California was also home to the Oakland Raiders, but the famed franchise moved to Las Vegas.

NBA Betting in California

Four NBA teams play in California, with two teams standing above the others. The Los Angeles Lakers are the joint most successful team in NBA history, with 17 NBA Championships and former players like Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar. The Golden State Warriors have won seven NBA Championships, which is the second most in NBA history. Four of these championships came in an eight-year period from 2015 to 2022. 

While well supported across the state, the other two NBA teams in CA have not been as successful as the Lakers and Warriors. The Los Angeles Clippers have never won an NBA Championship or conference final in the NBA. There is also the Sacramento Kings, the oldest franchise in the NBA. Despite spending the most time in the league of any team, the team has never won a conference final and once went for an NBA record of 16 consecutive losing seasons. The team has the longest postseason drought of any major league sports team in the US. 

MLB Betting in California

There are five MLB teams in California, which is the most of any state in the US. Four of the five teams in the state have won at least one World Series. The Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, and San Francisco Giants have won multiple World Series each as some of the most successful teams in professional baseball. In addition, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim won its one World Series in 2002.

The San Diego Padres are the only California MLB team without a World Series but have found postseason success in recent years. Adding Juan Soto to the roster in 2022 gives the franchise lots of hope going forwards.  

NHL Betting in California

Interest in the NHL in California spiked in the late 1980s when the greatest hockey player of all time, Wayne Gretzky, joined the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings wouldn’t win a Stanley Cup with Gretzky, but the team won national championships in 2012 and 2014. The Anaheim Ducks and the San Jose Sharks join the Kings as NHL teams in CA. The Anaheim Ducks were founded by Disney as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in 1993, following the success of the 1992 film The Mighty Ducks.

NCAA Betting in California

California is home to more NCAA Division I schools than any other state, so there are a huge number of schools for fans to get behind. Some of the most popular schools in the state are the California Golden Bears, UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans, and Stanford Cardinals. 

Each state has individual rules for college sports betting, separate from rules on professional betting, to protect young athletes. However, whether sports betting will be available on these teams will depend on what sports betting legislation in California passes in the future.

Where Can I Bet on Sports in California?

There are two opposing camps regarding sports betting legalization in California, and where you can bet on sports in the state in the future depends on which side is chosen. One side of the debate is major US sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel, backed by major sports leagues like the MLB. If this side of the sports betting issue passes legislation, you will be able to bet on sports online from anywhere in the state. However, there will be no retail sports betting. 

The other side of the debate is the Native American tribes, which have backing from the California Republican Party. The tribes want to legalize retail sports betting at tribal casinos from across California. However, the tribes also do not want online betting. Below are all the locations where tribal sports betting could be available in the future. 

• Aqua Caliente Casino Resort Spa
• Aqua Caliente Spa Resort Casino 
• Agua Caliente Casino
• Augustine Casino 
• Barona Resort & Casino 
• Bear River Casino Hotel 
• Black Oak Casino 
• Blue Lake Casino & Hotel 
• Cache Creek Casino Resort 
• Cahuilla Casino 
• Casino Pauma 
• Cher-Ae Heights Casino 
• Chicken Ranch Casino 
• Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino 
• Chumash Casino Resort 
• Colusa Casino Resort 
• Coyote Valley (Shodakai Casino) 
• Desert Rose Casino 
• Diamond Mountain Casino & Hotel 
• Eagle Mountain Casino 
• Elk Valley Casino 
• Fantasy Springs Resort Casino 
• Feather Falls Casino & Lodge 
• Garcia River Casino 
• Gold Country Casino & Hotel 
• Golden Acorn Casino & Travel Center 
• Graton Resort & Casino 
• Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain 
• Harrah’s Northern California 
• Harrah’s Resort Southern California 
• Havasu Landing Resort & Casino 
• Jackson Rancheria Casino & Hotel 
• Jamul Casino San Diego 
• Konocti Vista Casino 
• Lucky 7 Casino 
• Lucky Bear Casino 
• Mono Wind Casino 
• Morongo Casino Resort & Spa 
• Pala Casino Spa Resort 
• Pechanga Resort & Casino 
• Pit River Casino 
• Quechan Casino Resort 
• Rain Rock Casino 
• Red Earth Casino
• Red Fox Casino 
• Red Hawk Casino 
• Redwood Hotel and Casino 
• River Rock Casino 
• Robinson Rancheria Resort & Casino 
• Rolling Hills Casino 
• Running Creek Casino
• San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino 
• Sherwood Valley Rancheria Casino 
• Sky River Casino
• Soboba Casino 
• Spotlight 29 Casino 
• Sycuan Casino & Resort
• Table Mountain Casino 
• Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino 
• Thunder Valley Casino Resort 
• Tortoise Rock Casino 
• Twin Pine Casino & Hotel 
• Valley View Casino & Hotel 
• Viejas Casino and Resort Viejas
• Wanaaha Casino 
• Win-River Casino

Sports Betting in Bordering States

As sports betting is not yet legal in California, residents must travel to neighboring states to wager on their favorite sports teams. Thankfully, California’s neighboring states provide plenty of opportunities for players to bet online and in person. California shares a border with three states, which have all legalized sports betting. 

Oregon

Oregon offers one sportsbook app for mobile betting that is available state-wide, as well as retail sportsbooks in three casino locations. If you want to bet in Oregon, you must be over 21 and within the state’s borders. DraftKings operates the only sportsbook in partnership with the Oregon Lottery, bringing markets on dozens of different sports and live streaming on its mobile app. 

Nevada

Before the US Supreme Court struck down PASPA in 2018, Nevada was the sports betting capital of the US. There are dozens of online sportsbooks available such as DraftKings and BetMGM. There are also hundreds of retail sportsbooks open at the state’s many land-based casinos. To bet in Nevada, you must be 21 or older and within the state’s borders. 

Arizona

There are loads of betting opportunities in Arizona, with online and retail sports betting live since September 2021. AZ is one of the only states in the US where sportsbooks can partner with sports franchises and open retail sportsbooks at stadiums, like BetMGM at the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals’ State Farm Stadium. You can also use online betting apps anywhere in the state if you are over 21.

California Sporting Events

It is not surprising that a state as large as California plays host to a wide range of incredible sporting events throughout the year. In addition, California is also home to some of the greatest sporting venues in the country, if not the whole world. Check out some of the most popular sports events you can see in California below.

Rose Bowl

The Rose Bowl is the oldest bowl game played in the US, with the first game played in 1916. The Rose Bowl game hosts a National Championship semifinal game on a rotating basis every three years and hosts the No.1 Big Ten team vs. the No.1 Pac-12 team in other years. The game is played in the Rose Bowl Stadium, which is named after the Bowl Game. The Rose Bowl has a capacity of 90,000 and is the largest stadium in California, as well as the 11th biggest in America.

Indian Wells Masters / BNP Paribas Open

The Indian Wells Masters, now known as the BNP Paribas Open, is widely considered one of the most prestigious golf tour events outside of the four tennis Grand Slams. Indian Wells is host to the second-largest permanent tennis court in the world, and the hardcourt competition is the best-attended tennis tournament in the world outside of the Grand Slams.

Multiple Golf Courses

California is home to some of the most famous and beautiful golf courses in the world. PGA Tour events are regularly held at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, Silverado Resort in Napa, and at the picturesque Pebble Beach Golf Links. In addition, the state often holds major championships like the US Open, with the tournament being played at the Los Angeles Country Club in 2023. 

NASCAR at the LA Coliseum

The 2023 NASCAR season will start at the LA Coliseum, with the short, quarter-mile-long track hosting its first regular season NASCAR event. However, the LA Coliseum has previously hosted pre-season events. The LA Coliseum is one of the most famous sporting arenas in the world, having hosted the Olympics, the soccer World Cup, and the Super Bowl.

The Breeders Cup at Santa Anita Park

While the Breeders Cup is run across the US, it has been hosted at Santa Anita Park more than any other race track. The horse racing event started in 1984, with the first race hosted at Hollywood Park, another famous horse racing track in CA.

In 2016, the highest-ever two-day Breeders Cup attendance was set at Santa Anita Park, with over 118,000 racegoers attending the event. It is widely considered one of the best Grade 1 events in the world and a must for any racing fan.