LEGAL GAMBLING WHERE YOU ARE : YOUR GUIDE TO THE BEST OFFSHORE SPORTSBOOKS AND GAMBLING SITES
Guide to Online Gambling in California
In April 2021, Arizona's Governor, Doug Ducey, gave the nod to a bill that ushered in the era of legal sports betting in the state. This approval was a sequel to the U.S. Department of Interior sanctioning amendments to Arizona's gaming agreement with tribal entities.
Consequently, both brick-and-mortar and online sports betting have become legal avenues in Arizona, with provisions to issue up to 20 licenses – split evenly between tribes and professional sports entities. However, these casinos are not yet able to provide online poker, tables, or slots. Regarding online gambling, Arizona has yet to establish a regulated framework or any guidance prohibiting the act of online gambling outside of the state regulated casinos.
There's an absence of clear-cut legislation for online poker and sports betting, the ambiguous nature of the law doesn't equate to criminality. To date, no Arizonian has faced legal consequences for online poker play. With this, the regulatory landscape suggests that Arizonians, aged 18 and above, have the liberty to bet and earn real cash on gambling websites licensed and overseen outside the USA. Nevertheless, it's prudent for residents to tread cautiously in the realm of online gambling and seek legal counsel if uncertainty arises.
California Online Gambling Overview
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As of April 2021, online sports betting became legal in Arkansas
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Though there are laws limiting in-person betting, there are no laws prohibiting or restricting online betting
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Twenty operators currently carry state licenses, but no offshore gambling sites have been prohibited
Applicable California Online Gambling Laws
§ 336.9. Unlawful bets, wagers, or betting pools; exclusions
(a) Notwithstanding Section 337a, and except as provided in subdivision (b), any person who, not for gain, hire, or reward other than that at stake under conditions available to every participant, knowingly participates in any of the ways specified in paragraph (2), (3), (4), (5), or (6) of subdivision (a) of Section 337a in any bet, bets, wager, wagers, or betting pool or pools made between the person and any other person or group of persons who are not acting for gain, hire, or reward, other than that at stake under conditions available to every participant, upon the result of any lawful trial, or purported trial, or contest, or purported contest, of skill, speed, or power of endurance of person or animal, or between persons, animals, or mechanical apparatus, is guilty of an infraction, punishable by a fine not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars ($250).
(b) Subdivision (a) does not apply to either of the following situations:
(1) Any bet, bets, wager, wagers, or betting pool or pools made online.
(2) Betting pools with more than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) at stake.
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PC 330 states that “Every person who deals, plays, or carries on, opens, or causes to be opened, or who conducts, either as owner or employee, whether for hire or not, any game of faro, monte, roulette, lansquenet, rouge et noire, rondo, tan, fan-tan, seven-and-a-half, twenty-one, hokey-pokey, or any banking or percentage game played with cards, dice, or any device, for money, checks, credit, or other representative of value, and every person who plays or bets at or against any of those prohibited games, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be punishable by a fine not less than one hundred dollars ($100) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months, or by both the fine and imprisonment.”
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(b) Winnings subject to withholding—(1) In general. Winnings subject to withholding means any payment from—
(i) A wager placed in a State-conducted lottery (defined in paragraph (c)(2) of this section) but only if the proceeds from the wager exceed $5,000;
(ii) A wager placed in a sweepstakes, wagering pool, or lottery other than a State-conducted lottery but only if the proceeds from the wager exceed $5,000; or
(iii) Any other wagering transaction (as defined in paragraph (c)(3) of this section) but only if the proceeds from the wager:
(A) Exceed $5,000; and
(B) Are at least 300 times as large as the amount of the wager.
What Do California Online Gambling Laws Mean for Residents?
Nearly all gambling laws in the California's 430+ page document of Gambling Law, Regulations, and Resource Information applies to preventing casinos and books within the state from owning or operating in any capacity. However, there are few laws regarding to individual gambling, and even fewer to individual gambling online.
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In fact, when searching for the word 'online' through the document, you will find two matches. One referring to the government's site, and the other pertaining to the law above. Which, when put in layman's terms, says the following:
If you make a bet on a contest (like a race or competition) where everyone has the same chance of winning and no one is making money from hosting the bet, it's against the law. The only exception is if the bet is made online or if the total money bet is more than $2,500.
With that, though Casino's within the state of California are not allowed to operate online, casinos that operate outside of the United States are still accessible and able to be utilized.
As for PC 330, this law is targeted specifically at in-person operations and houses that are taking a cut out of games or slighting games in their favor. If this law is concerning to you, stay away from the table games on any gambling sites! The only applicable one that is explicitly states that appears on many online gambling sites is roulette.
California, there is no need to worry when gambling online. California bookmakers and casinos though have all the reason to be concerned.
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Top Sites for Gambling in California
Note: Please keep in mind that the following overview is a general guideline and it's important to consult with legal professionals or refer to the specific state statutes for the most accurate and up-to-date information.