Here’s Your Guide to Sports Betting and Everything Else to Know About Gambling in California

In California, you can bet on a horse race, buy a lottery ticket, put money on poker in a card room and play slots at a tribal casino all in the same day. California has the most slot machines of any state. Commercial gaming revenue after winnings shrank between 2019 and 2020, but it came roaring back in 2021. Tribal casinos also had a record-breaking year in that year. In November, Californians will decide whether to expand gambling further and allow sports betting.

What Can You Bet On Legally in California?

There are 69 licensed tribal casinos in California. You can play slots, lottery games and card games.

There are 84 licensed card rooms in California. They can offer poker, pai-gow and drawings.

There are 23,000 retailers across California that sell lottery tickets.

You can bet on horse races at one of California's four private horse racing tracks, one or more of its five racing fairs or at a simulcast location. You can also place a bet from home with online advance deposit wagering.

Charitable nonprofits can host card nights and raffles for charitable purposes. Cities and counties can choose to allow bingo for charity.

3.7% of Californian adults will experience problem or pathological gambling at some point in their lives. The prevalence of problem gambling is higher among men, African Americans, unemployed people and disabled people. California has a free hotline and a program that provides free treatment for problem gamblers. It's available to anyone. Health insurance isn't required. It also offers a support group program Gamblers Anonymous and Gam-Anon.

Here’s Your Guide to Sports Betting and Everything Else to Know About Gambling in California.

In 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that states could legalize betting on sports. Since then, 36 states and the District of Columbia have legalized some form of sports betting.

Some common bets include moneyline, point spread, over/under, parlay and prop bets. 25% of Americans over 21 bet on sports. 18% bet at least monthly. 55% use an unregulated platform. In California, sports betting is legal. Here's your guide to sports gambling in California. It includes information on how to bet.

Here's a guide to sports betting in California. Moneyline, point spread, over/under, parlay and prop bets are some of the categories.

This November, California voters will have the chance to weigh on two initiatives that would legalize sports betting. The propositions are paid for by Indian tribes and national gaming companies. If both propositions pass, both could go into effect. If not, a court would end up weighing in. It is estimated that both initiatives could generate tens of millions of dollars per year for the state.

California has the largest tribal gaming sector of any state. Tribal casinos in California supported 124,274 jobs and sold $19.96 billion worth of goods and services in 2016. For the Cahuilla Band of Indians, a tribe in Southern California, their casino and hotel bring in about 75% of the tribal government’s budget. The tribe receives $1.1 million a year from the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund.

Lottery sales in California have increased from $3 billion in 2008 to $7 billion in 2017. K-12 schools receive the lion's share of the lottery funds going to education.

Artichoke Joe's Casino in San Bruno paid a $5 million in 2021 for violating money laundering laws. Hawaiian Gardens Casino paid $3.1 million for misleading gambling regulators and $2.8 million to violate anti-money laundering law. The Gardens casino is a major source of revenue for the local government of the city they are in.

Betting on horse racing is the only form of sports betting currently allowed in California. You can bet on the races from 23 casinos and county fairs around the state or even from home.

The most common bets on horse races are "Win" and "Place". Animal welfare advocates have taken issue with the sport after a spike in horse deaths at the Santa Anita horse race track in 2019. State lawmakers made it easier for the state to suspend racing licenses. The state board that regulates racing also enacted a new rule restricting how often jockeys can whip horses and putting more limits on drugs horses can be given before races.

Here's a guide to sports betting in California. "Win" is betting on a horse to win the race, "place" on it to come either first or second in a race and "show" where you bet on the horse coming in first, second or third.