- California Real Money Online Casinos
- California Real Money Online Casino Games
- Internet Gambling In California
- Best Real Money Online Casino
- California Online Casino Real Money
The UIGEA and Online Casinos Today. Even worse, and also in 2006, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was passed as part of a larger bill and signed into law. This particular act made it increasingly difficult for players to play real money casino games online. Top Rated Casino List - Best Casinos Only. Not free, Real Money Only. Highrollers Welcome!
List of legal California poker sites to play real money US poker. Get the best gambling offers and bonuses available on California poker sites. Which does put restrictions on what California is able to do as far as online poker is concerned. Tribal casinos are their own entity, and even though people from the state have been trying to get. The online real money casino Canada offers thrill and excitement that every player is looking for. The allure of casinos has always been about making some real money, and making it quickly. You never know when the throw of a dice will land your way, or when a dealer will pull up the exact card that you need.
On this page, we’ll focus on playing for real money and provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision on which site to join. All of the sites listed on this page are 100% safe and have been carefully selected by our editors. Each site has met our stringent criteria for being listed and they all have the following traits in common:
- Have been in business for 10+ years in the United States
- Provide fair and 3rd party audited games for their players
- Offer high success rates for deposits, and very fast withdrawals
- Good selection of bonus offers and ongoing promos for players
- Treat their customers well and have 24/7 front line support
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Early Days of Online Gambling in The US
At BestUSCasinos.org, our team will stop at nothing to provide you with the most up to date and factual information regarding the online casino industry in the US. Not only has our team taken part in the online casino industry by playing casino games, we have also been keeping a watchful eye on the ever-changing industry for years. All of this experience and expertise has culminated in a site that is equipped with everything you need to know about online casinos in the United States. What’s more, we are constantly adding new information to keep up to date with the times.
When you talk about real money online gambling in the United States, the history does not extend too far before 2002.
It was in this year that the US Federal government passed the Federal Wire Act, which made it illegal to participate in the monetary dealings with any funds that are at all related to gambling on sports. By the letter of the law, the Federal Wire Act does not make it illegal to bet on anything other than sports.
In fact, the law does not even prohibit betting on sports, it merely says that it is illegal for financial institutions or anyone else to handle, transfer, or otherwise deal with any funds that will go towards or have been won from online sports betting.
In effect, this law makes it nearly impossible for people to deposit at online casinos, because people nowadays can do almost nothing with money that does not involve their bank.
So, now that the Federal Wire Act passed in the US, the real money gambling atmosphere was immediately shaken to its core. Though there were still plenty of online casino options in the wake of the Federal Wire Act’s passing, the general attitude people held towards online gambling was that participating in such activities was now considered to be illegal.
In some extremes, people were quite literally afraid that playing a hand of blackjack online would see the police come knocking at their door. In reality, this never has happened and is not likely to happen anytime in the foreseeable future. Adding to the general fear people have of playing real money online casino games in the United States was a Department of Justice that has consistently alluded that all types of internet gambling are illegal.
Though the Federal Wire Act has no verbage stating this, the DoJ has scared an entire population into thinking twice about doing something that they are well within their right to do.
Despite the mounting fear, the industry in the United States managed to mostly stay out of the headlines for the next 4 years. Then, in 2006, a few online casino executives were arrested and prosecuted in the United States for violations in relation to the Federal Wire Act.
Jay Cohen, and others, were charged under the presumption that facilitating online sports betting for players in the US is, in fact, a violation of the newly instituted Federal Wire Act. As you could have probably guessed, this sent another massive shockwave across the population of people who play casino games online.
US Online Casino Deposit Methods
The world of online casinos has grown in such a way that there are more than just one or two ways by which you can fund an online player account. Depositing money into an US online casino was once a headache, but more recently the process could not have been made any simpler. Unfortunately, with more deposit options comes more for the average player to understand.
In the following few sections we will walk you through the different methods by which you can fund an online casino player account and what benefits and pitfalls each method presents. When it comes down to it, the best way to deposit at an online casino is something that you must decide for yourself. There is no single surefire method that is always better than the rest and, depending on where you live, not every method discussed in this piece will be available to you.
Overview of Casino Deposit Methods | |||
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Credit Card Online Casinos | Visa Online Casinos | ||
Mastercard Online Casinos | Amex Online Casinos | ||
Paypal Online Casinos | Neteller Online Casinos | ||
Skrill Online Casinos | Bitcoin Online Casinos | ||
Wire Transfer Online Casinos | Western Union Online Casinos |
Credit/Debit Card
California Real Money Online Casinos
Utilizing a credit/debit card is by far the most popular way by which players fund accounts at online casinos. If you have ever utilized your card to make any sort of online purchase, utilizing it to deposit at an online casino is a procedure that is no more difficult or elongated. By simply typing in your credit card number as well as a few other pieces of information you are just moments away from real money gambling online.
As is the case with every method of deposit, you must be sure that your preferred banking institution will facilitate deposits with online casinos. For players in the United States in particular, this is a method that can cause issues.
Direct Money Transfer/Bank Wire
Another extremely popular method by which you can fund a player account is by way of a direct bank or wire transfer. As its name implies, this method of deposit allows the player to deposit to an online casino by linking the casino account directly with their bank account. Just like it is with a credit card deposit, bank wires only need you to offer up a small amount of personal financial information in order to be executed. Also like credit card deposits, these methods of funding an account allow players to play with real money almost instantaneously.
The reason people are sometimes concerned about the aforementioned methods of deposit is that, once executed, it is very difficult to get your money back if you ever happen to deal with unscrupulous criminals online. Nowadays, fortunately, there is significantly fewer shady online casinos, and most are reputable operators who have no goal other than to provide a top-notch gaming experience for you. Still, the risks persist and it is imperative that you do your research before playing to ensure that you are only dealing with the most reputable online casinos.
Bitcoin Deposits
Another method of deposit that is gaining popularity at every turn is Bitcoin deposits. This new cryptocurrency offers protections that none of the aforementioned deposits methods can. Bitcoin transactions are always 100% anonymous, so players do not have to disclose any personal information to make a deposit. What’s more, Bitcoin deposits are instantaneous such that you can begin playing shortly after making the deposit.
Check Deposits
Though it may sound a bit antiquated, you are still able to mail a check as a form of deposit at most casinos. This is a fine way to deposit, however by the time the online casino receives and processes your check such that funds will be available to play with, you may have been forced to wait days or even weeks.
As modern day technology continues to advance rapidly, mailed checks are going to become a thing of the past. Cashier’s checks, money orders, and other, more instant forms of this same method, however, are likely to remain in use for some time to come. As you might have gathered, you need to be especially careful when it comes to check deposits due to the fact that not every site accepts them, and even further, not every site accepts them in all of their forms (cashier’s, money order, etc.).
E-Wallet Deposits
Depending on where you reside, depositing at an online casino via an e-wallet such as PayPal or Skrill is a convenient way to begin playing quickly. One advantage that e-wallets hold over depositing with a credit or debit card is the fact that they require you to give the online casino almost no personal information whatsoever. Because you have the protection of the e-wallet, not only is it easy to get your money back in the event of unforeseen problems, it is also much safer in that you do not have to give out any personal information at all. Unfortunately, e-wallet deposits are not available everywhere.
Are there fees associated with online casino deposit methods?
Yes, in almost every instance an online casino will attempt to make money off of you for having facilitated your deposit. Most often the fee incurred will be less than 5% of the amount deposited, but this is where you have to be careful. Some online casinos do well to hide how much they charge you per deposit, so it would behoove you to discover this information before ever trying to fund an online player account.
Still, like was stated earlier, most sites nowadays do their best to be as transparent as possible, so they will often make it very clear how much the fee associated with a given method of deposit is.
The UIGEA and Online Casinos Today
Even worse, and also in 2006, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was passed as part of a larger bill and signed into law. This particular act made it increasingly difficult for players to play real money casino games online.
Though the UIGEA was brand new in 2006, it was really a more expanded upon version of 2002’s Federal Wire Act. Now, the Federal government made it wholly illegal for banking institutions to deal with internet gambling monies. In the immediate wake of the passing of UIGEA, many online casinos that previously offered their services to people in the US announced that they would be suspending these services.
Now, an industry that consisted of a seemingly endless quantity of online casinos was whittled down to its bare bones. Despite the UIGEA, real money casinos for US players still existed and still existed in such a way that players never had to worry about criminal prosecution for having gambled online.
Though it seems like the US has done nothing but prosecute the online casino industry, the online casino industry has persevered time and time again. With every new piece of legislation that passes, online casinos are thinking of new ways to make their operations legal. As it stands now, there are hundreds of online casinos that people everywhere in the United States can play at. In addition, a handful of states have made it legal to gamble online within their specific borders. This is a trend that is just beginning to pick up momentum.
Statistical Analysis of Online Gambling Revenue in US
The relatively new online gambling market in the United States completed its third full year of operations in 2016. The US regulated iGaming market is comprised of three state jurisdictions where online gambling is legal at the present time (Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware). Nevada’s online gaming is restricted to online poker. Of the 3 states, New Jersey has accounted for more than 90 percent of iGaming revenue in the United States. Although online casino gaming is also permitted in Delaware, it is a considerably smaller state.
Online Gambling Revenue Forecast in US
As you can see from the bar chart below, online gaming revenues in the United States has experienced tremendous growth since the introduction of a regulated market in 2013, reaching an all-time high of $200 million in revenue in 2016 even though it’s still shared between 3 states. For the year as a whole, iGaming revenue in 2015 was up 19.3 percent on 2014.
In 2016, the organic growth witnessed in 2015 continued and online gambling revenue increased by 24.4 percent. In contrast land-based gambling revenue in the US during the same period has been flat.
The US online gambling market is expected to exceed $9 billion in revenue by 2020, growing at an impressive rate of more than 50% according to Technavio’s latest market research study. That forecast includes all online casino and online betting activity within the United States.
The fact that these online casino websites appeal to a younger demographic is the main reason why the online gambling market in the US is predicted to get bigger, and real-money gambling transactions in regulated iGaming markets are expected to be processed more efficiently.
Additionally, other states including Pennsylvania are considering legalizing online gambling in 2017. As more states soften online gaming laws since it’s a source of tax revenue, it will further increase growth and states will partner together to improve liquidity.
Real Money Online Casinos FAQ
Are more states going to regulate online casinos?
At any given point in time, there are a few measures in state governments who have the goal of establishing an online casino industry. So far, these efforts have been met with limited success. To aptly answer this question, we cannot give a solid answer. While there is a good chance more online casinos will be legalized and regulated, the process to make this happen is a slow and arduous one.
Will I get in trouble for making deposits at an online casino?
It is always important to check your local laws before ever playing at an online casino, but the fact of the matter is that no one has ever been arrested nor prosecuted for depositing real money at an online casino.
Are cashouts processed slowly?
Because cashouts from online casinos in the US are a bit different than they are in other parts of the world, you might have a few questions. With regard to speed, online casino withdrawals are processed at different speeds at different online casinos. Being that mailed check is still the best option for a withdrawal, it is safe to say that most withdrawal will take at least a week in order to process and be put in the mail.
What are the fees associated with online casino deposits?
The fee you are charged for having executed an online casino deposit or withdrawal varies from site to site and from payment method to payment method. To make a long story short, you will almost always be charged a fee for any deposit or withdrawal from an online casino, it is your goal to find the method and site offering the lowest fees around.
Do I have to download anything?
This is something that depends on the casino in question, but more often than not you will either have to download an online casino client or play flash games, which is nothing more than a fancy way of saying you are playing real money casino games within your web browser.
On this page, we’ve compiled an in-depth summary of the current state of online gambling in CA, touching on various topics from the legality of gambling in the state to current regulatory debates. We’ve also compiled a list of safe and secure online casinos for California residents that you can view below, which have all been in business for 10+ years with no issues. If you’re looking for a legal, safe, and trusted California online casinos, you’re in luck!
What Are the Top Real Money Online Casinos in California?
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California is known for being a trendsetter when it comes to most industries in the United States. It’s no surprise that legalized online gambling in California has grown far ahead of many other locations in the United States.
Why These CA Online Casinos Are The Best
They Offer Legal, Trusted Gambling Games to Residents and Visitors
The entire reason you’re probably here is to figure out which online casinos offer services to California residents. You’ve probably heard mixed answers about the legality of online gambling in California and, therefore, are not sure where you can and cannot play.
Because of that, the number one trait that makes California online casinos great is simply the fact that they offer services to California residents and visitors!
Just because an online casino says it services US customers does not mean it is a good fit for California gamblers. In order for us to recommend an online casino to you, we need to know for sure that it services California gamblers.
They Offer Games Californians Love to Play
What good is an online casino if it doesn’t have the games that Californians love to play? We’ll answer that question for you—it’s no good at all. The California online casinos that we’ve recommended offer an extremely wide variety of games, including favorites like blackjack, craps, roulette, three card poker, keno, slot machines, pai gow, sic bo, and more! If you’re looking for an easy way to play your favorite gambling games for real money in California, check out one of the recommended online casinos from the up-to-date list at the top of the page.
They Have Banking Options That Work Fast
Not every banking option works everywhere in the world. There are specific banking options that work better and faster for California residents. When we’re analyzing the quality of California online casinos, we ensure that they have several high-quality online casino banking options that work great for Californians.
While we don’t need tons of options, we do want to see at least a couple of great deposit options and a couple of great withdrawal options. You’re only going to need one, but we want options just so you have a better chance of seeing an option that is a great fit for you.
The Ultimate in Convenience
The entire point of using online casino sites is to provide convenience. California is an extremely spread out state in some areas, which means you may be hundreds of miles from the closest land-based casino. Additionally, that land-based casino might not offer the games you want to play. This is where online casinos come in. The idea of an online casino is to solve these problems and bring convenience to players across the state.
But this convenience goes away if the online gambling site doesn’t set things up properly. It should be super simple for you to create an account, make a deposit, find the games you like, play, and withdraw your winnings. If any of these things aren’t super simple, we’re not interested in the site and you won’t see those California online casinos recommended on this page.
Is Online Gambling Legal in California?
These days, the United States is one of the more confusing countries in the world when it comes to online gambling laws, with dozens of states having different rules and nuances of how they treat the topic. When it comes to California, it is perhaps the unique exception. There are currently no specific regulations that explicitly prohibit online gambling for residents of the state.
Because of this, Californians have little worry when it comes to playing online casino games, and currently, there are a number of trustworthy sites offering online casino games, sports betting, and poker across the state.
There is no specific law or set of laws making it illegal for CA residents to play casino games online but, as is the case in most of the United States, there are no laws regulating the industry either.
Unlike the state lottery, casinos that operate online are not subject to any sort of government scrutiny and, in many ways, can operate without fear of legal ramifications. For this reason, many bills have been proposed with the end goal of legalizing and regulating the online casino industry in the state.
Up to this point, however, any and all legislation aimed at legalizing and regulating online casinos has either stalled or has been flat-out rejected.
What Does This Mean for You?
There are two important takeaways you should get from this. One, it is not illegal for you to gamble online in California. You are free to play the games you want for real money without fear of negative repercussions. Two, the market is unregulated, which means that you will not have some of the added protections and oversight you would get in a regulated market.
This makes it that much more important that you choose to gamble online in California. The good news for you is that casinos make a lot of money. For them to continue making money, they have to continue having happy customers that are getting the entertainment value they desire. If they are not operating reputably and taking care of their customers, word will get out, and their cash cow is going to dry up. This places a huge incentive for online casinos in California to do things the right way as if they were being regulated.
Still, not every online casino follows that mindset. There are some California online casinos that only look at the short term and don’t care about their long-term sustainability. Because of this, it is also important that you take advantage of resources like this site to help you determine where the best casinos online are. If you want to ensure you’re betting with one of these reputable sites, stick to the recommended list we’ve provided at the top of the page.
The Future of Online Gambling in California
Despite what has been a mostly fruitless endeavor up to this point, experts believe that California is one of the next states that will establish legalized intrastate online casinos. Each year, it seems as though a larger number of bills for the complete and total legalization and regulation of online casinos gets put into circulation.
It is only a matter of time until one of them is signed into law. With that being said, online gambling sites are what many would consider to be the least of California’s governmental problems. With almost constant drought, severe debt, and many other issues on hand, it becomes difficult for activists to convince politicians and voters alike that establishing an online casino network is something that should be done soon. Many efforts have been made, and only few have succeeded.
The fact that the California government does not oversee them does not mean that the California online casinos which offer their games are not trustworthy. These casinos are regulated abroad and most are very reliable; you just have to sign up with time-tested ones with stellar reputations. To help you with choosing a legal CA online casino to play at, we have reviewed and researched dozens and recommend the best online casinos for California residents at the top of the page.
Legal Status of Brick and Mortar Casinos — California
In California, there are plenty of brick-and-mortar locations all over the state. One thing that all of these casinos have in common, however, is that they are all Native American-run and almost always located on Native American land. This sounds like a rather conservative policy for an otherwise liberal state, but the wider scope of gambling and casinos in California is not as restrictive as it may first appear. Of course, this all depends on where you reside in the United States.
The land-based casinos in California usually offer all the classic favorites such as slots, roulette, keno, baccarat, blackjack and the like.
California Real Money Online Casino Games
While California law does not allow for casino games like roulette and slots to be played off Native American land, it does facilitate the playing of poker games such as Texas Hold ‘em and Omaha.
Card rooms—as they are known in California—number in the tens of dozens and seem to be growing in number all the time. Poker is the dominant offering of California’s card rooms, however, blackjack variants and other more obscure games can be found being played as well. Basically, so long as the game is centered around playing cards, the rule of thumb is that it can likely be found at a card room. Naturally, some card rooms are better than others, and thus, the offering of one card room is never equal to that of another.
Additionally, if you play non-poker, gambling-type games in one of these card rooms, you’ll notice that the “bank” or who you are playing against will actually be another player at the table who is being paid to be there. It’s a confusing system and clearly a workaround for the state laws, but the outcome is the same. You are able to play your favorite games without fear of negative repercussions.
There are brick and mortar, Native American-run casinos all over the state, however, online gambling is still the easiest way to play any and all casino games at any time of day. When it comes down to it, someone who is looking to play casino games in California will either have to do so at CA online casinos or on Native American land. As you might have guessed, this predicament means that online casino play in California is quite widespread. It’s this common knowledge that is driving the push to legalize and regulate real money online casinos.
In recent years, pro-casino activists have lobbied politicians to promote and/or vote for bills to expand the way in which Californians can gamble at brick-and-mortar sites, but most of those efforts have so far been for naught. This is interesting, too, because California is historically one of the more liberal states in the country. Some of the largest land-based casinos currently operating in California include the following:
Local California Land Based Casinos
Casino | Address | Phone |
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Pechanga Resort & Casino | 45000 Pechanga Parkway | (877) 7112-WIN |
Cache Creek Casino | 14455 CA-16 | (800) 452-8181 |
San Manuel Casino | 777 San Manuel Blvd | (800) 359-2464 |
Thunder Valley Casino | 1200 Athens Avenue | (916) 408-7777 |
Viejas Casino & Turf Club | 5000 Willows Road | (800) 847-6537 |
Morongo Casino Resort | 49750 Seminole Drive | (800) 252-4499 |
Pala Casino Resort | 11154 Highway 76 | (877) 946-7252 |
Red Hawk Casino | 1 Red Hawk Boulevard | (888) 573-3495 |
Barona Casino & Resort | 1932 Wildcat Canyon Rd | (888) 722-7662 |
Table Mountain Casino | 8184 Table Mountain Rd | (800) 541-3637 |
California Online Casinos and Gambling FAQ
- Abbreviation: CA
- State Motto: Eureka
- Capital City: Sacramento
- Population Estimate: 39.5 million (1st)
- Website: https://www.ca.gov/
What Is the Legal Age to Play at online casinos in California?
In California, the minimum age for participation in lottery games is 18 years old, but one must be 21 to play at the state’s card rooms. Because there are no laws in effect at the present moment, we feel safe saying that one should be at least 21 years of age before they play at California online casinos.
What Are the Best Online Casinos to Play at in California?
If you’re looking for the most trusted, safe, and overall best California online casinos, you’re in luck. Our review team has spent countless hours scouring the web for the top sites. At the top of this page, we’ve included a link of the best of the best to ensure you have the greatest online gambling experience while you’re living in California or visiting the west coast.
Yes, online blackjack is currently legal in California at the casino sites we recommend on this page. All of the operators listed offer many popular variants of blackjack, including single and double deck, Spanish 21, progressive blackjack, and others.
Slots are also completely legal in California and can be enjoyed at one of the many California online casinos. All of these gambling sites offer a wide variety of games such as video slots, reel slots, progressives, and bonus rounds from leading providers.
Why Is Craps (Dice) Illegal in California Land-Based Casinos?
Presently, craps is prohibited in land-based casinos in the state, as regulators feel there is no skill involved in the game and it’s too risk-centric for players. That being said, you are free to play craps online from California without restrictions at sites like Cherry Gold Casino, one of our top rated site.
Similar to craps, roulette is currently banned from land-based casinos in CA, due to the fact there is very little skill involved for players. It’s also viewed as having too high of a house edge against players. There are electronic variants that are available in some land-based casinos in California. If you do want to play the game from inside California state lines, finding an online casino site is the way to go. All of our recommended CA casinos on this page do offer the ability for players from CA to play roulette online, so that’s your best bet if you want to play from within the state.
Internet Gambling In California
As is often the case in the United States, depositing funds can vary. Most often, the preferred methods by which you can fund an online casino account is by way of credit/debit card or by bank transfer. Other forms of deposit may be accepted, but these two tend to be the most common. In many online casinos open to California residents, other ways of depositing funds in online casinos include Money Gram or Western Union transfers, as well as cryptocurrency like Bitcoin.
Though you may be able to deposit by way of credit or debit card, it is not likely that California residents will be able to cash out their casino winnings via this method. Instead, you will find that most online casino sites transmit winnings by way of paper check or direct bank transfer. You can usually also request to be paid your casino winnings by bitcoin.
Is Dealing with Online Casinos in California Safe?
Best Real Money Online Casino
If you know that there exists no framework for regulated and legalized online casino play in California, you might be wondering how anyone is able to trust the many sites that offer their services in the state. The fact of the matter is that, while you may not be able to take an online casino to court in California, a small bit of due diligence will lead you to trustworthy, reputable online casinos in California. Plenty of well-respected names in the online casino industry operate in CA, and these are names that can be trusted.California Online Casino Real Money
Most notably, the online casinos we recommend for California residents have all been operating for many years and have strong reputations to defend. In case of issues, they will resolve them immediately so that their stellar reputations are not sullied. These online casinos also use time-tested technology and reputable casino games, therefore, you can be sure that if you decide to make a deposit in one of these casinos, your depositing process will be safe and secure and the games you will play will be fair and give you an honest chance to win money!