Real Legal Online Gambling
Legal Online Casinos. If you are reading this, you are probably interested in finding decent, and most importantly, legal online casinos in the US. With the plethora of gambling services available online, you might be wondering whether they are legal or not. Online gambling industry makes an estimated $1 billion dollars annually. This is a huge business, and a lot of people have cashed in on it. But it has led to some ambiguous legal issues, as the legality of online gambling is constantly being challenged. There are many best online gambling casino choices on hand nowadays. There are real sites that can streamline your experience in a major way. Bovada is a real option that’s suitable for people.
Can You Gamble Online Legally
Thousands of Americans gamble online. But is online gambling legal? We break it down to show you what you can do, what you can't do, and what's still up in the air.
by Katherine Butler
updated September 03, 2020 · 2min read
The legality of online gambling is ever-changing. But one thing is constant: it makes a lot of money. Online gambling industry makes an estimated $1 billion dollars annually. This is a huge business, and a lot of people have cashed in on it. But it has led to some ambiguous legal issues, as the legality of online gambling is constantly being challenged.
There are differences in the legality of making bets, taking bets, facilitating payments to casinos, and advertising on websites. And there are constantly new legal challenges. So here is a breakdown of the law on online gambling.
Legal Forms of Gambling
There is no federal law against placing a wager online. So, you can legally place a bet online. However, a wager must not be placed on a site located in the United States. There is a small chance players might run afoul of state law, but there is little chance of prosecution. The only case cited where a person got into trouble with a state was in 2003. Jeffrey Trauman of North Dakota paid a $500 fine on over $100,000 of online sports bet winnings.
Sites that are set up outside of the United States are legal. Therefore, gambling on websites located in areas like Australia, the Caribbean, and Latin America is legal. Just be very clear that the site you are playing on is not based on U.S. soil.
Definitely Not Legal Forms of Gambling
It is never legal to gamble on a website based in the United States. Also, if you are planning to operate an online gambling site, stay outside of the United States. You must also deal only with casino and poker wagers (not sports bets) from people in the US. And you cannot take bets over the phone from people in the United States.
Accepting online gambling advertising is also illegal. If you are a small publisher, you are less likely to be prosecuted, but why risk it? As of early 2009, only large and mid-size publishers had faced prosecution. In 2007, the three big search engines (Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft) each paid a fine for accepting online gambling ads, but did not face criminal charges. Other publishers, such as Esquire Magazine, have been warned by the government not to take online gambling advertising.
Facilitating the transfer of funds to online casinos is also a bad idea. As of 2006, it became illegal for American banks to process transactions originating from or directed toward any online gambling operator. Because of this, several sites then refused to take bets from American players. But as the law seems difficult to enforce, it has not turned the tide completely for American players.
Still up in the Air
Advertisers who promote sports books in magazines and on billboards may or may not face prosecution. So far, sports books have never been scrutinized for advertising online. And online casinos, poker rooms, and sports books have never been prosecuted for buying ads.
Online casinos and operators still accept American players. And international financial parties have continued to process their transactions. The legality is always changing and there have been attempts to declare online wagering against the law, but for now, U.S. citizens who simply place bets online are in the clear.
Contents
When it comes to online gambling laws and regulations, the US is probably the most confusing country in the world. This is because each state approaches this topic in a different way.With cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, California hosts a wide array of land-based casinos and resorts, allowing both the residents and tourists to enjoy the casino experience to the fullest.
Given that the number of states that are regulating the online gambling industry is on the rise, California might feel the pressure to resolve that matter as well. If we take the word of some experts, California might be one of the next states that will introduce a legalized online casino system within its borders.
However, since we can’t predict the future, there is no right answer to this burning question. On the bright side, the residents can still enjoy some forms of online gambling. Keep reading to find out exactly what your options are when it comes to online casinos in California.
Top 5 California Online Casinos
Is Online Gambling Legal in California?
Currently, the state of California has no strict laws that prohibit online gambling. On the other hand, the governing bodies of California haven’t yet introduced a law that regulates the industry.
What this means is that, legally, you won’t get into any trouble if you choose to play online casino games. The state doesn’t have a regulated system, so there is no way for the authorities to stand in your way.
There have been attempts to legalize online casinos in California; however, all of them have run into some obstacles. The main reason for that is the opposition of tribal casinos. Their stance regarding the regulation of the online casino industry has been an issue for quite some time.
Fortunately, Californians have certain options when it comes to online casinos. You can run into a large number of online casinos that operate in California. But, the best option for playing online casino games at the moment is the Sweepstakes online casino and poker websites.
These platforms have reinvented old sweepstakes laws and applied them to the online gaming industry. Now, all players can enjoy casino games and win real prizes with the so-called sweepstakes cash. The websites that promote this type of online gambling allow the players to enjoy online slots and table games, as well as blackjack and video poker.
Another option players from California can turn to is offshore online casinos. Most of these online gambling websites accept players from the US. If you’re wondering if it’s legal to play using real money in offshore online casinos — the answer is yes. These online casinos operate outside the US, so it’s not illegal for you to open an account there.
Future of Online Gambling in California
As time passes, this is becoming less of an if and more of a when the government will legalize online casinos in CA. While all the attempts up to this point were futile, the tides seem to be changing. Hopefully, a bill that will be put into motion in the near future might just be the one to change the online casino landscape in California.
Of course, we have to understand that the state of California has much more serious problems to deal with at the moment — debts, as well as constant and severe drought. So, we can’t overlook that, but we can hope the government will understand that legalizing online casinos in the state can actually be beneficial to the state itself.
However, as already mentioned, online casinos that welcome players from California are not regulated by the law. Still, that doesn’t make them untrustworthy. Most of those online casinos are extremely popular. So, if you decide to open an account in an online casino, make sure you do thorough research and only join those that are reliable and have a great reputation.
Brick-and-Mortar Casino Options in California
In the state of California, there is quite a large number of land-based casinos. Interestingly, one thing all these casinos have in common is that they are all run by Native Americans. That implies that most of them are located on Native American soil. You might be surprised since California is considered to be among the most liberal states in the US. We thought so too, at some point. But, CA is not so conservative as it might seem.
Californian brick-and-mortar casinos offer a wide selection of classic casino games to its players. These include slots, baccarat, keno, roulette, and blackjack, among others. Land-based casinos are also known as cardrooms in California. They are located all over the state and their number keeps getting bigger.
The dominant game in these cardrooms is usually poker, but you can run into other offers, such as blackjack and its variants. Naturally, cardrooms are not limited to these two types of games. If you know a game that’s centered around the cards, you will most likely find it in a cardroom. Understandably, the offer of one cardroom isn’t the same as in others.
We were really surprised to learn that if you opt for another form of gambling in a cardroom, you will notice that the so-called bank you are playing against is actually a person paid to be there. We can only suppose that it’s not completely legal to do that, but, in the end, that doesn’t affect the outcome. You are still free to enjoy the game.
Another interesting fact is that, in recent years, there have been numerous attempts to expand the presence of land-based casinos in California, but so far, these attempts have been fruitless. This is quite odd since we’re talking about a state that’s considered one of the most liberal ones in the country.
Land-Based Casinos in California
Below, you can see what some of the biggest brick-and-mortar casinos that currently operate in the state of California are.
States Where Online Gambling Is Legal
Is Online Gambling Legal In Ny
| Name | Slot Machines | Table Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Pechanga Resort and Casino | 5,000 | 158 |
| 2. | Cache Creek Casino | 2,300 | More than 120 |
| 3. | Morongo Casino Resort | 2,700 | 60 |
| 4. | Red Hawk Casino | 2,500 | More than 75 |
| 5. | Table Mountain Casino | 2,000 | 40 |
| 6. | Pala Casino Resort | 2,200 | 87 |
| 7. | Barona Casino and Resort | 2,500 | 120 |
| 8. | Thunder Valley Casino | 3,400 | 125 |
| 9. | Viejas Casino and Turf Club | 2,500 | 35 |
| 10. | San Manuel Casino | 4,900 | More than 130 |
Of course, keep in mind that this is just a small part of the actual number of land-based casinos that operate in California. To find a casino you like the most, you’ll need to do some additional research. Also note, the age restrictions can also vary depending on which casino you go to. Some allow 18+ and some are further restricted to 21+.
FAQ
Since the online gambling industry isn’t regulated in California, we can base this answer on two things — the CA lottery age limit and the cardroom age limit. In order to participate in lotteries, you must be over 18 years old. However, if you want to enter a cardroom, you must be at least 21. So, the safest bet is to say you should be over 21 to play in online casinos in California.
Given that the online gambling landscape in California isn’t actually legalized or regulated, it’s completely normal to have doubts about joining an online casino. If you want to play in an online casino, you need to be thorough while you research the one you like. Be thorough and patient, and you will surely find reputable and trustworthy online casinos in California.
Lately, a lot of online casinos have been introducing this new section on their platforms. Live casino games have become very popular because of the genuine casino experience they offer to their players. Of course, not all online casinos in California have a Live Casino section, so you should look for the ones that do.
The online casino industry is very competitive and innovative, meaning there are multiple types of casino games at your disposal. Simply put, any casino game you can think of already has an online version. What’s more, online casinos are full of surprises, so you might run into some games you’ve never even heard of.
In order to meet the needs of their players, most online casinos offer a wide selection of payment methods. This allows for easy and safe online payments. Naturally, the processing time will depend on the payment method you decide to use.