| California law |
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| Note: There are 29 California codes. |
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Legal forms of gambling in the U.S. state of California include cardrooms, Indian casinos, the California State Lottery, parimutuel wagering on horse racing, and charitable gaming. Commercial casino-style gaming is prohibited and sweepstakes casinos were outlawed in September 2025 after Governor Gavin Newsom signed an anti-sweepstakes bill into law, with an effective date of January 2026. [1] [2]
Licensed cardrooms may offer approved card games in which players vie against each other (rather than against the house), such as poker. [3] As of 2019, there were 66 cardrooms operating in the state (and another 21 licensed but not operating). [4] Since 1995, there has been a moratorium on new cardrooms. [5] [6] The industry generated $850 million in revenue after payouts in 2018. [5]
Non-banked card games such as poker have always been legal in the state. [7] The California Penal Code, enacted in 1872, prohibited several casino games by name, as well as all house-banked games, but did not outlaw poker. [8] Cardrooms also operate non-banked versions of card games such as pai gow poker and baccarat, where players can take turns playing the dealer hand against the other players. [9] However, in these cardrooms, an independent operator known in state law as a "third party provider of proposition services" usually acts as the "house" and the casino earns revenue on a fee charged to the proposition service provider and fees charged to players to play a hand. [10] [11] [12] Statewide cardroom regulations were enacted in 1984. [13] In 1997, the Gambling Control Act was adopted, which created the California Gambling Control Commission to regulate California cardrooms. [13]
Eligible nonprofit organizations may operate bingo games, [14] raffles, [15] and poker nights. [16] Organizations are limited to one poker night per year. [16]
State voters in 1976 approved a constitutional amendment allowing counties and cities to legalize charitable bingo. [17] [18] An amendment to allow charitable raffles passed in 2000, and enabling legislation went into effect in 2001. [19] [20] Legislation allowing poker night fundraisers took effect in 2007. [21] [22]
Parimutuel wagering on horse racing is permitted at racetracks and satellite wagering facilities, and online through advance-deposit wagering providers. [23] [24] Extended racing meets are held throughout the year at five tracks: Cal Expo, Del Mar, Golden Gate Fields, Los Alamitos, and Santa Anita. [25] Four other fairgrounds tracks hold brief meets in the summer and early fall. [25] There are 27 satellite wagering facilities throughout the state, most of them found at county fairgrounds, cardrooms, and tribal casinos. [26] Racing and wagering is regulated by the California Horse Racing Board. [27] As of 2018, the annual amount wagered on California races was $3.2 billion, with $662 million retained after payouts. [28]
Horse race wagering was legalized by voter referendum in 1933. [29] Satellite wagering was first legalized at fairgrounds in 1985, [30] and was expanded to private facilities in 2008. [31] Advance-deposit wagering became legal in 2002. [32]
Federally recognized tribes can operate casinos under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. As of 2019, there were 63 casinos operated by 61 different tribes. [33] The industry generates approximately $8 billion in annual revenue after payouts. [5] Pursuant to tribal-state compacts negotiated with the state, tribes with larger casinos share a portion of their revenues with non-gaming or limited gaming tribes (those with fewer than 350 slot machines). [34]
The California State Lottery offers scratchcards and draw games, including the multi-state Powerball and Mega Millions games. [35]
The Lottery was approved by voter referendum in 1984 and sold its first tickets in 1985. [36]