Best California Online Casinos 2024

Best Online Casinos in California 2024

Best Online Casino Bonuses In California

1. Sign Up Bonuses: Any time that you sign up for a new account at a sweepstakes site, you can qualify for a Sign Up Bonus. This gives you free coins that you can use at any of the games that are offered on the site. This bonus is available just to players who are signing up for an account for the first time.

2. No Deposit Bonuses: No Deposit Bonuses offer players a way to get free coins without having to make a purchase at all. There are a number of different ways that this could be offered to you, and most just require you to check-in or play a certain game. This gives you the ability to try out new games and possibly win cash prizes that you can cash out, without risking any money of your own.

3. Deposit Match Offers: If you do choose to purchase more coins at a sweepstake site, you likely will be able to qualify for a Deposit Match Offer. The sweepstakes site will match the amount of coins that you purchase up to a certain amount, which helps you increase the chances you have to play the various games.

4. Free Spins: Sometimes, sweepstakes casinos will offer Free Spins that you can use at slot machines on the site. A lot of times, these Free Spins will be offered just for a particular game that they want to promote or is new to the site. This bonus allows you to play the game — and earn real rewards — without having to use any of your virtual coins.

5. Loyalty/VIP Programs: Many of the sweepstakes sites in California will also offer a Loyalty or VIP Program. This rewards players with points whenever they’re playing games, risking coins, purchasing coins or doing other things. These points add up and can eventually be cashed in for items such as swag, free spins or even converted to real money.

Are Online Casinos Legal in California?

No, real money California online casinos are not legal. However, land-based casinos are legal. 

A few commercial land-based casinos are legal, but most of them are considered card rooms/poker rooms. 

There are also 85 full-service land-based casinos set up throughout the state run by the state’s federally recognized tribes. 

There have been a lot of proposals to legalize online betting in recent years, but all of those proposals have been focused on online sports betting, and not the wider online casino market. 

Since even that effort has had trouble gaining steam in the state, it seems unlikely that California will legalize general online casinos any time soon.

This is a shame for players in the state, and it’s something that many casino operators would certainly like to see changed. With so many residents in the state, it provides an amazing opportunity for casino operators to attract new players.

Sweepstakes Casinos in California

In the meantime, casino players are able to play at online sweepstakes casinos in California and get the chance to win real money that they can cash out.

The sweepstakes casinos use virtual coins instead of actual money as the currency on their site. The coins are used to play the various games, and the ‘winnings’ earned are these virtual coins rather than actual dollars.

All players are given a certain amount of free coins when they sign up for a sweepstakes site, though they will have the ability to purchase more using real money.

After accumulating a certain amount of coins, many of the sweepstakes sites will allow players to convert them into real money, which can then be withdrawn.

So, while California still outlaws online casinos, sweepstakes sites are the next best option for gamblers.

The Future of Online Casinos in California

As mentioned before, it seems unlikely that California will make a serious move to legalize online casinos in the near future. At present, all of the efforts that are being made to legalize online gambling are focused primarily on sports betting.  General online casino gambling has taken a back seat, meaning sweepstakes sites remain great option for Californian players.

Facts About Gambling in California

• California has 85 land-based casinos that are mainly operated by federally recognized tribes throughout the state. None of them are able to offer online gambling of any kind, including online sports betting.
• Gross gaming revenue in California is estimated to be around $8.41 billion per year.
• California’s gambling industry contributes an economic impact of $19.96 billion to the state.
• The gambling industry in California also supports nearly 125,000 jobs throughout the state.
• Tribes in California make payments into either the state’s General Fund, the Special Distribution Fund or the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund. The money in these funds then goes to support programs such as higher education, transportation and more public programs.
• The California Gambling Control Commission is the entity that’s responsible for the oversight of all gambling activities, in partnership with the individual tribes that run the casinos.

Popular Casino Games in California

• Blackjack: Blackjack is probably the most popular and well-known casino table game. It’s a card game where every player gets two cards to start, and they can draw more cards as the game goes on. The goal is to get as close as 21 without going over, while also beating the dealer’s hand.
• Roulette: Another great table game is roulette. This is a very simple game to understand, as you just have to predict which number or color the ball will land on when the wheel stops spinning. There are 38 total numbers on the board (1-36, 0 and 00) with each either being red, black or green. There are plenty of wagers available, which makes this game popular, in addition to the fact that it’s so fast-paced.
• Craps: Craps is the game that you’ll hear people screaming and yelling at in excitement at a casino. It’s a dice game where players roll two dice and try to form different combinations that aren’t 7 (in almost all cases). The game plays very fast, has plenty of betting options. 
• Slot machines: Casinos were built on slot machines, and they’re still the most popular type of game today — whether in land-based or online casinos. These games used to be very simple and straightforward, but many advances have been made to make them modern and unique. These games are popular because they’re simple, fast-paced, offer huge potential payouts and don’t require big bets to start.
• Baccarat: In baccarat, you either place a bet on the Bank, the Player or a Tie, and get paid based on which of the two hands wins. The goal is for your hand to get as close to a value of 9 as possible. The game has many complicated rules for when you draw a card and when you stand, so it takes a little time to get used to.
• Poker: Casinos offer many different versions of poker today. You can go to the poker room and play traditional games against other players. Or, you can play video poker machines that look and feel like slot machines. Or, you can play table games such as Caribbean Stud or Three Card Poker. All have their own unique features, but each is based off traditional poker hands.

Land-based Casinos in California

• Cache Creek Casino Resort. 14455 Highway 16, Brooks, California 95606. (530) 796-3118. This upscale property in Northern California has more than 600 hotel rooms that are four-diamond, as well as a spa, two big resort pools, 10 different dining options and nightlife. Gaming options include slot machines and a huge selection of table games.
• San Manuel Casino. 777 San Manuel Boulevard South, Highland, California 92346. (909) 864-5050. The huge gaming floor at this casino is more than 300,000 square feet total. They offer a huge selection of table games, video poker and slot machines, as well as a separate room for high-limit players. There are many bars and dining options as well as plenty of entertainment offerings.
• Harrah’s Resort Southern California. 777 South Resort Drive, Valley Center, California 92082. (760) 751-3100. The southern countryside is the environment for this stunning property that features more than 60 table games, more than 1,600 slot machines and even a separate poker room. There are nine different bars and restaurants on the property, as well as nearly 1,100 hotel rooms with beautiful views of the mountains.
• Thunder Valley Casino Resort. 1200 Athens Avenue, Lincoln, California 95648. (916) 408-7777. This casino is huge by any standards. It features 100 tables games, more than 3,500 total slot machines and even a separate poker room. The resort part of the property offers many different dining options, 300 hotel rooms, a spa and entertainment features.
• Pechanga Resort Casino. 45000 Pechanga Parkway, Temecula, California 92592. (877) 711-2946. If you’re looking for a large casino with plenty of options, this is it. There are more than 130 table games and more than 5,000 slot machines, all spread out over 200,000 square feet of gaming space. It even has almost 1,100 hotel rooms, plenty of dining options and entertainment to keep everyone occupied and having fun.

Responsible Gambling in California

• In conjunction with the federally recognized tribes in the state, the California Gambling Control Commission regulates and oversees all land-based casinos in the state. There are 76 tribes in total that have a gaming compact with the state, which allows them to offer land-based casino services.
• The National Problem Gambling Helpline is a resource for people no matter where they live in the U.S. People can get help and support via text messages, web chat or a phone line, and all of that is available around the clock. 
• The California Council on Problem Gambling offers live counselors to help anyone who has been affected by gambling in a negative way. They help to provide hope and support to people who have found themselves in trouble with gambling. They have a phone support hotline, as well as information available on their website.

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