| California law |
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| Constitution |
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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, with an effective date of January 2026. [1]
Licensed cardrooms may offer approved card games in which players vie against each other (rather than against the house), such as poker. [2] As of 2019, there were 66 cardrooms operating in the state (and another 21 licensed but not operating). [3] Since 1995, there has been a moratorium on new cardrooms. [4] [5] The industry generated $850 million in revenue after payouts in 2018. [4]
Non-banked card games such as poker have always been legal in the state. [6] 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. [7] 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. [8] 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. [9] [10] [11] Statewide cardroom regulations were enacted in 1984. [12] In 1997, the Gambling Control Act was adopted, which created the California Gambling Control Commission to regulate California cardrooms. [12]
Eligible nonprofit organizations may operate bingo games, [13] raffles, [14] and poker nights. [15] Organizations are limited to one poker night per year. [15]
State voters in 1976 approved a constitutional amendment allowing counties and cities to legalize charitable bingo. [16] [17] An amendment to allow charitable raffles passed in 2000, and enabling legislation went into effect in 2001. [18] [19] Legislation allowing poker night fundraisers took effect in 2007. [20] [21]
Parimutuel wagering on horse racing is permitted at racetracks and satellite wagering facilities, and online through advance-deposit wagering providers. [22] [23] Extended racing meets are held throughout the year at five tracks: Cal Expo, Del Mar, Golden Gate Fields, Los Alamitos, and Santa Anita. [24] Four other fairgrounds tracks hold brief meets in the summer and early fall. [24] There are 27 satellite wagering facilities throughout the state, most of them found at county fairgrounds, cardrooms, and tribal casinos. [25] Racing and wagering is regulated by the California Horse Racing Board. [26] As of 2018, the annual amount wagered on California races was $3.2 billion, with $662 million retained after payouts. [27]
Horse race wagering was legalized by voter referendum in 1933. [28] Satellite wagering was first legalized at fairgrounds in 1985, [29] and was expanded to private facilities in 2008. [30] Advance-deposit wagering became legal in 2002. [31]
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. [32] The industry generates approximately $8 billion in annual revenue after payouts. [4] 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). [33]
The California State Lottery offers scratchcards and draw games, including the multi-state Powerball and Mega Millions games. [34]
The Lottery was approved by voter referendum in 1984 and sold its first tickets in 1985. [35]