California Sports Betting Updates 2023

California sports betting isn’t launching any time soon.

With California voters rejecting two initiatives in the 2022 election that would have legalized sportsbooks in the state in some capacity, interest groups now turn to the 2024 election for another attempt at legalization.

Translation: Those eager for legal sports betting apps in California need to be patient.

However, whether sports betting comes to California isn’t a question of it. It’s a question of when. There’e simply too much money to be made in a legal California sports betting market.

While Californians wait for legalization, they do still have some options. They can play DFS with any number of apps, including DraftKings and FanDuel. They can play Fliff, a promotional sweepstakes social sportsbook.

And they should also get familiar with what potential California sportsbook promos may come to their state.

For now, here’s a look at the future of sports betting in California.

Is Sports Betting Legal in California?

No, sports betting in California is not legal.

The only way to make it legal is it voters pass a measure legalizing it in an election, so interest groups are now looking ahead to the 2024 ballot for their second crack at legalization.

Until then, neighboring states Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona all offer legal sports betting, both retail and online. For much of California, those states are only a short drive away. Some sportsbooks literally sit minutes from the border.

How Can I Bet on Sports in California?

For those who want to stay in California, there is a legal, creative way to bet on sports. Fliff is a promotional sweepstakes sports betting app that has all the same feel of a traditional real-money sportsbook.

We’ll discuss Fliff later, but in a nutshell, you bet with fake digital money that can later be redeemed for real money.

California is also still a hot spot for DFS. You can play daily fantasy sports at any number of quality apps, including those offered by DraftKings and FanDuel.

There’s horse betting in California, too. You can do that in-person, off-track, or via any number of horse race betting apps. FanDuel Racing, formerly known as TVG, is your best bet.

California Sports Betting – Quick Facts

When Will Sports Betting Launch in California?

Californians will have to wait until 2024 to vote for the next round of sports betting ballot initiatives. Then, if one is passed, things wouldn’t get into gear until 2025.

Here’s a timeline of all the sports betting legalization efforts in California.

• May 14, 2018: Congress repeals the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PAPSA), opening the door for legal sports betting. It’s up to each individual state if it wants to make sports betting legal.
• May 21, 2018: Assemblyman Adam Gray reintroduced a bill he’d first introduced in 2017 that would allow sports gambling if it was approved by voters in the election. It didn’t make it to the ballot.
• June 2018: A proposal known as the Gaming Fairness and Accountability Act was filed to the state’s Attorney General. The act was mainly focused on legalizing sports betting. But that didn’t work either.
• January 2020: A group of 18 California tribes began the process of collecting signatures to get a legal sports betting measure on the 2020 ballot. However, COVID-19 threw a wrench in those plans.
• May 2021: After being granted two extensions on their signature-gathering deadlines due to the pandemic, the tribes successfully got approval to be on the November 2022 ballot.
• August 2021: FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM began to spearhead effort to get online sports betting initiative on the November 2022 ballot.
• May 2022: The private company-led initiative got enough signatures to appear on the November 2022 ballot.
• November 2022: More than $450 million was raised in support and opposition of Prop 26 and Prop 27, making it by far the most expensive ballot battle in California history. Neither measure is expected to pass in the election. Meanwhile, Massachusetts became the latest state to legalize sports betting in August.
• Nov. 8, 2022: California voters reject Prop 26 and Prop 27 in major landslide losses.
• Dec. 27, 2022: Leaders of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, which owns the largest casino on the West Coast (Yaamava’ Resort & Casino), tell California Casinos that the only way they see US sportsbooks entering the California market is as tech providers for tribes — not as their own entities.
• Jan. 31, 2023: Massachusetts becomes the latest state to legalize sports betting, with its three casinos launching retail sportsbooks. Online sports betting is expected to follow on March 10.
• Feb. 6, 2023: Two Texas lawmakers introduce legislation that would legalize online sports betting. If it passes the state House and Senate, it will go to the general election in 2024. In terms of population, Texas is the second-largest state behind California.
• Feb. 14, 2023: During a speech at the Western Indian Gaming Conference, CNIGA Chairman James Siva lauded the overwhelming defeat of Prop 27 and emphasized that “tribes are by far the better entities to offer sports wagering in California.”

What Online Sports Betting Sites Can I Use in California?

We strongly advise against using unregulated offshore sites such as Bovada and BetUS. You put your money and personal information at risk any time you use one of those sites.

Instead, for Californians eager to bet on sports right now, we suggest Fliff or DFS sites.

With DFS, you pick daily rosters and enter tournaments or head-to-head contests with cash on the line.

Although it’s not a real-money sports betting site, Fliff is a promotional sweepstakes site — just like the legal online casinos in California. That means you bet with two forms of fake digital currency, and you can redeem one of those types of fake digital currency for real cash prizes.

Sportsbook Apps Projected to Launch in California

We obviously don’t know which sites would come to California.

However, we can make confident educated guesses about which sports betting apps and sites would flock to California given the opportunity. For instance, DraftKings and FanDuel already operate DFS apps in California. They would be two logical candidates for a license.

Here is the full list of potential California sportsbooks:

⭐ DraftKings California — Best for Sports Betting Options

⭐ FanDuel California — Best for App Experience

⭐ Caesars Sportsbook California — Best for Rewards Program

⭐ BetMGM California — Best for Ongoing Promos

⭐ BetRivers California — Best for Easy Cashout

⭐ PointsBet California — Best for Microbetting

Efforts to Legalize California Sports Betting

Two sports betting measures that would have legalized sports betting in some capacity made California’s 2022 ballot.

However, both failed in landslides.

Prop 26 would have legalized in-person sports betting at the 66 Indian casinos in California and the state’s four licensed horse racetracks. Prop 27 would have legalized mobile and online sports betting from private sportsbook companies partnered with California tribes.

A group of tribes also tried to get a measure on the ballot that would have legalized online sports betting offered directly by California tribes. But they eventually abandoned that effort to rally behind Prop 26 and against Prop 27.

Prop 26: Sports Betting at Indian Casinos

In California, 58 tribes publicly endorsed Prop 26. Notable other support comes from the NAACP and various local political and business organizations.

Beyond the sportsbooks, Prop 26’s main opposition came from California card rooms and related entities.

Prop 27: Online Sports Betting

FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, PENN Entertainment, Fanatics, Bally Bet, and WynnBET exclusively funded the Yes on 27 campaign. Prop 27 also had support from MLB, certain homelessness organizations, and top lawmakers from cities hit especially hard by homelessness.

Three California tribes also endorsed Prop 27.

Beyond most California tribes, Prop 27’s main opposition came from both the California Democratic and Republican parties, as well as state education organizations such as the California Teachers Association.

What’s Next for California Sports Betting?

The only way for sports betting to be legalized in California is via voter approval in a general election. The next general election is 2024. There are several ways for an initiative to reach a ballot.

Here are the three most likely options for the 2024 ballot.

• Sportsbooks and tribes again collect signatures for two separate initiatives.
• Sportsbooks and tribes compromise and collect signatures for one initiative.
• The California Legislature, with assistance from lobbyists, writes and passes one ballot initiative.

Large California tribes made this clear in the weeks following the 2022 election: They are willing to work with sports betting companies, but only as technology providers. In other words, companies such as DraftKings and FanDuel could partner with tribes and make money, but they would only be the technology providers — their branding would not appear on the tribe’s sportsbook.

How to Start Betting in California

For now, the only regulated and legal sports betting app you can use in California is Fliff, which uses the promotional sweepstakes model to be 100% legal.

When it comes to regulated real-money sportsbooks, there is no way to legally use them in California.

You can use a VPN to hide your IP address and sign up for a US sportsbook from California. However, when it comes time to verifying your identity and address in order to place bets and withdraw money, security will quickly sniff you out and delete your sports betting account.

However, when sports betting does inevitably launch in California, here’s how you’ll be able to use sports betting apps.

How to Download

Most if not all California sportsbooks will give users the option to download their app on iOS or Android devices directly from their sportsbook website.

However, most bettors simply head to the App Store or Google Play Store to download the app. Be sure you’re downloading the company’s sportsbook app. Some, such as DraftKings and FanDuel, also have DFS apps.

Most companies that also operate online casinos combine their sportsbook and casino apps into one. But, if they don’t, again, be sure you see the word “sportsbook” in whatever app you’re downloading.

How to Deposit Money

California sports betting apps will make it easy and pain-free to deposit money.

Simply connect your payment method of choice to the sportsbook — common methods include online banking, credit or debit card, e-check, and PayPal — and place funds into your account. Some sportsbooks, such as DraftKings, also allow you to fund your account with DraftKings gift cards.

How to Place a Bet

Once you have deposited money into your account, you’re ready to place a bet.

Peruse the sportsbook’s options of sports and leagues, select the game or contest you want to bet on, choose your type of bet (moneyline, spread, Over/Under, prop, future, parlay, etc.), and place your bet. Once you’ve done this, you’ll see your wager selection listed on your betslip, which should be easily accessible on the sportsbook app.

How to Cash Out

In order to withdraw winnings from your account, you’ll need to verify your identity.

Some online sportsbooks do this automatically during your registration. They will make sure all the information you provide matches up with public records. This process is usually quite fast and, again, happens before you even get started betting.

However, some online sportsbooks require further manual verification before you can cash out. Common documents needed for verification include a government-issued ID and proof of address (such as a utility bill).

Once you’ve verified your identity, you’re ready to withdraw money from your account. Common withdrawal methods include online banking, PayPal, or other e-wallets. But there are additional options, too.

We recommend online banking, as it’s usually the fastest and easiest method to get your sports betting winnings within a few business days.

How We Rate Sportsbook Apps

We pride ourselves on providing unbiased, detailed, and accurate reviews to help you pick your favorite sportsbook apps whenever California sports betting launches in the future. Although these apps, such as DraftKings California, aren’t live in California, their platforms will be the same whenever they can launch in California.

So, to help you understand how we rate sports betting apps, here’s a breakdown.

Speed

A sportsbook could have market-leading odds, a deep menu of sports and leagues to bet on, and a wide range of bets you can make. But if the platform isn’t fast and efficient, without bugs or glitches bugging things down, none of that matters.

A good sportsbook is a fast sportsbook — one that registers your bets immediately, updates odds consistently for live betting, and pays you quickly.

Bonuses and Promotions

We want a sportsbook to court us, to convince us to pick them over all the others. After all, we’re paying them our hard-earned money, right? That’s why welcome bonuses really do matter when it comes to rating a sports betting app. Same with ongoing promotions.

If two sportsbooks offer pretty much the same odds, betting menu, and deposit options, you’re going to pick $1,000 bonus bet over the $500 bonus bet.

Deposit and Withdrawal Options

Options are always a good thing, especially when it comes to depositing and withdrawing money with a sportsbook. If the sportsbook doesn’t offer direct online banking for both deposits and cashouts, don’t even consider it.

But sometimes online banking isn’t always the best option. Some people swear by PayPal or e-wallets like Skrill. It can’t possibly hurt a sportsbook to offer more deposit and withdrawal options. It can only help attract a wider range of bettors.

App Quality

Let’s be honest: Some of you might place your bets on a computer, but chances are you’ll use the sports betting app at least 80% of the time. So, even if a sportsbook has the best of the best of everything, if its app is bad, you’re probably not going to use it.

We look for apps that don’t have glitches or bugs, that are easy to navigate, that simply look nice, and that present information in a clean, easy-to-read fashion.

Live Betting

Live betting is huge nowadays. It’s a fast-paced, exciting way to bet on sports. But it can also be supremely frustrating if a sportsbook lags in any way. This ties in with a sportsbook’s speed. Does it perform well enough to give bettors a high-quality live-betting experience? Or is it more infuriating than fun?

Unique Features

What else can a sportsbook do to set itself apart? PointsBet offers PointsBetting, a one-of-a-kind way to bet on sports. Caesars Sportsbook has an excellent menu of international sports. WynnBET has great live stats. BetMGM California will offer its industry-leading MGM Rewards program.

Types of Bets in California

Here’s a breakdown of the most common ways to bet on sports in the US. We’ll also note which of these types are available on Fliff, the only legal sportsbook in California at the moment.

💸 Moneyline — Moneyline wagers are the bread and butter of sports betting. Simply pick a team or individual to win. If they win, you win your bet. If they lose, you lose the bet. Favorites are listed with negative odds (-100) and underdogs are listed with positive odds (+100). Available on Fliff.

💸 Spread — Spread bets revolve around the margin of victory. For instance, if the Lakers are favored by 4.5 points against the Clippers, betting on the Lakers to cover means they’d need to win by 5 or more points for your bet to win. If you take the Clippers to cover, you’d need them to lose by 4 or fewer points or win. Available on Fliff.

💸 Total — Totals, or Over/Under bets, deal with the combined total points, runs, or goals scored in a contest. For example, if the projected total in a Dodgers vs. Giants game is 9.5 runs, betting the over would mean you want the teams to combine for 10 or more runs, while taking the under would mean you’d want them to score 9 or fewer runs. Available on Fliff.

💸 Props — Prop bets focus on a specific outcome in a game. They can involve individual players or a team. A player prop could be betting on Anthony Davis to score 28 or more points in a Lakers game. A team prop could be betting on the Dodgers to hit three or more home runs as a team against the Padres. Available on Fliff.

💸 Futures — A futures bet involves an end-of-season outcome, and they’re most popular during the preseason for a given sport. These, too, can be player- or team-oriented. You could bet on the Kings to win the Stanley Cup, or you could bet on Mookie Betts to win NL MVP. Limited options available on Fliff.

💸 Parlay — Parlays involve multiple wagers combined into one bet. The more legs you include, the steeper the odds. All individual wagers need to win for the overall parlay bet to win. You can also make a parlay of bets from an individual game, called a Same Game Parlay. DraftKings and FanDuel also allow bettors to combine SGPs into an SGPx on DraftKings and an SGP+ on FanDuel. Available on Fliff.

💸 Teasers — A teaser bet happens when a gambler “buys” better lines, but they have to place that bet as part of a parlay. The standard buy in football betting is 6 points, for example. So you could move the spread from 8.5 points to 2.5 points with the same odds in a LA Rams game. But you’d have to place that wager as part of a parlay. Available on Fliff.

💸 Live betting — This type of sports betting is rapidly growing in popularity. Live betting, or in-game wagering, happens when bettors place bets on a game with fluctuating odds as the game progresses. For instance, if the Lakers are getting -250 odds to beat the Spurs one night but fall behind by 10 points at halftime and the odds lengthen to +150, you might place a live bet on the Lakers moneyline — because you still think they’re good enough to come back and beat the Spurs. Live betting has also opened the door to microbetting, a more second-by-second version of in-game betting that involves markets such as next team to make a field goal in basketball. Available on Fliff.

Banking Options in California

The main question regarding banking options for California sports betting, whenever it’s legalized, will be whether residents will be able to use credit cards to make deposits and withdrawals.

Most states allow credit cards.

However, a handful — including Massachusetts, Iowa, New York, Tennessee, and Connecticut.

For now, we’ll include credit cards in this projection. And since Fliff is the only legal sportsbook now, we’ll note which of these options are allowed on that app.

Legal Sports Betting in Bordering States

Although you can’t legally bet on sports online or in-person in California, you can in its three neighboring states.

Arizona

As of February 2023, there were 17 online sportsbooks operating in Arizona:

• DraftKings Sportsbook
• Caesars Sportsbook
• BetMGM
• BetRivers
• Betfred
• FanDuel Sportsbook
• Unibet
• WynnBET Sportsbook
• Barstool Sportsbook 
• Sahara Bets
• Desert Diamond Sports
• Golden Nugget
• Bally Bet
• Betway
• SuperBook Sports
• Hard Rock
• TwinSpires

If Californians are looking for retail sportsbooks near the California-Arizona border, there is one option:

• Paradise Casino in Yuma, just 9 miles from the California-Arizona border, has a retail Unibet Sportsbook.

Nevada

As of February 2023, there were 13 online sportsbooks operating in Nevada:

• Atlantis
• BetMGM
• B-Connected Sports
• Circa Sports
• Caesars Sportsbook
• Golden Nugget NV
• Rampart Sports (Nevada Sports)
• South Point (Nevada Sports)
• STN Sports
• TI Sports
• Westgate Superbook
• William Hill
• WynnBET

Las Vegas is just about 50 miles from the California border, and Lake Tahoe and Reno are directly next to it. So many Californians won’t have to drive far to use the above-mentioned online sportsbooks. For in-person sports gambling:

• There are 17 retail sportsbooks in and around Reno.
• There are six retail sportsbooks around Lake Tahoe.
• There are eight retail sportsbooks in and around Carson City.
• There are 87 retail sportsbooks in Las Vegas.
• There are 13 retail sportsbooks in cities on the California-Nevada border, including three in Primm.

Oregon

As of February 2023, there was only one online sportsbook operating in Oregon: DraftKings. There are also retail sportsbooks at four Indian casinos, but the closest one is 136 miles above the California-Oregon border.

California Sports to Bet on

With the largest population in the US at just under 40 million people, California also boasts arguably the biggest selection of sports to bet on. Here’s a quick look.

California Professional Sports

There are 19 major professional sports teams in California, spanning across the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS, and WNBA. That’s not even counting the pro sports teams in some of the more niche sports like women’s soccer, lacrosse, and rugby, or lower-league level action for the NBA (G League) and MLB (minor leagues).

California College Sports

The availability of college sports betting varies by state. Some have no restrictions. Some don’t allow it at all. Some only allow wagers on teams not from the state. Time will tell what kind of college sports betting California will permit.

There are 26 colleges in California with Division I sports programs:

• Cal Baptist
• Cap Poly
• Cal State Bakersfield
• Cal State Fullerton
• Cal State Northridge
• Cal
• Fresno State
• Long Beach State
• Loyola Marymount
• Pacific
• Pepperdine
• Sacramento State
• Saint Mary’s
• San Diego
• San Diego State
• San Francisco
• San Jose State
• Santa Clara
• Stanford
• UC Davis
• UC Irvine
• UC Riverside
• UC San Diego
• UCLA
• USC

California also has 21 Division II colleges, 11 Division III colleges, and 18 NAIA colleges.

Other Sports in California

A wide range of other sports take place in California each year, headlined by NASCAR and MMA events. California is also a hot spot for esports competitions, although we don’t know if esports betting will be allowed whenever California launches sportsbooks.

California Teams to Bet on

California College Football Betting Odds and Updates

USC Football Futures Odds

Depending on which sportsbook you use, USC football odds for the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship are anywhere from third-best to fifth-best in the country.

With reigning Heisman Trophy winner QB Caleb Williams back, as well as a loaded transfer class and the No. 11 overall 2023 recruiting class, the Trojans have high expectations in 2023-24.

UCLA Football Futures Odds

Most major US sportsbooks peg UCLA football odds for the 2024 CFP title at +10000 immediately following the 2023 title game. The Bruins will miss QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson and RB Zach Charbonnet dearly, but they’ll still likely challenge for a spot in the Pac-12 title game.

The +10000 line is just outside the top 20, so UCLA is still expected to be a top-25-caliber team.

California NBA Betting Odds and Updates

Los Angeles Lakers Odds and Updates

The Lakers finished 43-39 in 2022-23, but got on a roll in the playoffs. They advanced all the way to the Western Conference finals, where they were swept by the Denver Nuggets (who eventually won the championship).

Los Angeles Clippers Odds and Updates

The Clippers finished 2022-23 at 44-38. After a shaky February, the team finished by winning five of their last seven games to make the playoffs, where they bowed out in the first round. The Phoenix Suns dispatched the Clippers in five games.

Golden State Warriors Odds and Updates

An up-and-down season for the Warriors concluded with the squad holding a 44-38 record. Golden State topped the Sacramento Kings in a thrilling seven-game series to open the playoffs, but fell to the Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.

Sacramento Kings Odds and Updates

The Kings had a massive turnaround in 2022-23. In their first season under head coach Mike Brown, Sacramento won 48 games and finished atop the Pacific Division. The Kings fell to the Warriors in the playoffs, but the future looks bright.

California NHL Betting Odds and Updates

Los Angeles Kings Odds and Updates

The Kings won 47 games in 2022-23 and were riding high heading into the playoffs. However, they were bounced in six games by the Edmonton Oilers.

San Jose Sharks Odds and Updates

It was another long season for the Sharks, who struggled to a 22-44-16 record in 2022-23. The Northern California squad hasn’t made the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2018-19.

Anaheim Ducks Odds and Updates

The Ducks also struggled, finishing at 23-47-12. Their goal differential of -129 was the worst in NHL history since the 1999-2000 Atlanta Thrashers.

Projected California Sports Betting Market Size

As the most populous state, California could become one of the largest sports betting markets in the US. For example, the state of Nevada generates an estimated $9 billion in revenue annually. California Indian casinos already generate about an equal amount of revenue annually without having online or in-person sports betting.

Nevada generates about $450 million in revenue via sports betting. California, with its larger size and population, could potentially dwarf that amount if sports betting is legalized.

The Los Angeles Times reported that one 2019 study estimated illegal sports bets placed in California were worth $15.7 billion. Logic says a fully legal market would lead to a much higher California sports betting handle.

An August 2022 report published by Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, an independent research and consulting firm, projected sports betting revenue in California to reach $3.1 billion if both Prop 26 and Prop 27 pass. Even if only Prop 27 passes, the firm predicted annual would be $2.8 billion — a reflection of just how popular online sports betting is compared to retail sports betting across the US.

If the retail-only option is passed, experts estimate it would generate a $356 million in revenue in five years.

It’s a staggering amount of money that sportsbooks want to command large slices of. This projected market size is the reason sportsbooks have banded together to try to legalize online sports betting.

Where Is Sports Betting Legal in the US?

As of February 2023, 35 states and Washington D.C. have legal sports betting in some form or have legalization pending. California is one of 15 states with nothing currently available or pending

Don’t Use Offshore Sportsbooks

As tempting as it may be, we strongly recommend against using unregulated offshore sports betting sites that are technically available to use in California. It’s better to use Fliff or wait for California to legalize real-money sports betting and offer regulated sportsbooks for many reasons.

Some of those reasons?

• Offshore sportsbooks often lack high-end digital security.
• Offshore sportsbooks have a track record of issues with payouts, including not paying customers at all.
• Offshore sportsbooks don’t face any regulation, meaning they can do whatever they want.
• Offshore sportsbooks tend to offer much less favorable odds than legal sportsbooks.

Bottom line: Your information is vulnerable to cybercriminals with offshore sites, and you will have no legal recourse if you feel the offshore sportsbook has wronged you in any way.

So, yes, sites like Bovada, BetUS, BetOnline, MyBookie, everygame, and BetNow offer their sports betting platforms in California. But it’s just not worth the risk.

History of Sports Betting in California

Nevada legalized sports betting in 1949.

But, outside that state, California and the rest of the US had a bubbling ecosystem of illegal sports gambling, mainly run by organized crime.

Various pieces of legislation — the Federal Wire Act (1961), Travel Act of 1961, Interstate Transportation of Paraphernalia Act of 1961, Sports Bribery Act of 1964 — tried to curtain illegal sports gambling. But these were all bandaid efforts to get anything done.

Then, in 1992, the US Congress banned any state from legalizing sports betting with the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. In 2006, Congress went after online sports betting with the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

However, on May 14, 2018, Congress repealed PASPA.

Since then, 35 states and Washington D.C. have either legalized sports betting or have legalization pending. There were two sports betting initiatives on California’s ballot in the 2022 election, but both failed miserably. Now, interest groups look ahead to the 2024 election.

California Sports Betting FAQs