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Is Online Sports Betting Legal in California?
Legal sports betting has proliferated throughout the United States since 2018, when the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).
After bringing the challenge of PASPA to the court, New Jersey became one of the first states to open itself to the sports betting market when the act was struck down. Since then, over 30 states have moved to legalize sports betting in some capacity – online, retail, or both.
Online Sports Betting in California
California – the most populous of the United States – hasn’t yet legalized sports betting in either capacity. As of now, it remains up in the air when we will see legal sports betting in the Golden State.
California saw two ballot proposals during their 2022 November election that would’ve opened the state to sportsbooks. Proposition 26 would’ve allowed betting on sports, among other things, at licensed tribal casinos and horse racing tracks in the state. Proposition 27 – which received funding from FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM – would’ve opened California to state-wide online betting.
While neither proposal was successful, their presence on the ballot indicates interest in bringing sports betting to California by the necessary parties. There’s reason to believe the state will move closer to legal sports betting in the coming years.
CA Sports Betting Apps
While California residents cannot access online sportsbooks, they can use several alternatives to participate in sporting events. Daily fantasy sports (DFS) and betting on horse racing are both legal, providing compelling alternatives.
