California Online Poker Laws And Regulations

Regulated Poker Legal IconAs of this writing, the state of California has been trying for several years now to get legislation that permits state based regulated online poker gambling passed and signed into law. They are following in the footsteps of Nevada regulated online poker and New Jersey online poker initiatives that have thus far met with tremendous success. Many are confident that 2024 will be the year that residents of and visitors to the Golden State will see these efforts come to fruition.

It has been a lot of hard work to get the various Indian Tribes in the state to come together concerning online poker, as well as get the existing gambling business operators to reach a consensus. Despite all of this hard work, we will have to wait until the legislative session of 2015 to see the results of all that labor. In the meantime, this page will focus on the legally licensed and regulated online poker sites that already do offer their services to players in California but that are not based in the state.

These sites are not subject to US online poker laws, and are able to legally provide poker gambling around the world, including to players in the US. California does allow licensed and regulated legal poker gambling through a variety of brick and mortar card rooms and casinos throughout the state. None of these land based card rooms located in California are permitted to offer their poker gambling services online at this time.

Top Ranked Offshore Poker Rooms Open To California Players In 2024

Poker RoomBonus OfferRating /5US FriendlyPlay Now
Bovada Poker100% Max $5004.9YesPlay Now
Ignition Poker100% Max $3,0004.7YesPlay Now
Betonline Poker100% Max $1,0004.6YesPlay Now

Who Is Allowed To Participate At Regulated Online Poker Sites Accepting California Players In 2024?

Players who reside in or visit California are eligible to participate at California online poker sites that are regulated and licensed to provide poker gambling services to players in the Golden State. Because there are not any legal state regulated options for California players, the poker sites you see recommended on this page are all located outside of the United States within jurisdictions that have legalized online poker gambling for their territories.

Each site has also each been vetted by our team of analysts to ensure that they hold legitimate, legal licensing and are subject to regulatory oversight by a respected governing jurisdiction. At such time as the state finalizes their legislation for legalizing state based online poker, we will add those websites to our guide as well.

The regulated offshore poker sites that accept California residents typically also accept players from all over the United States, so you'll be able to enjoy accessing these destinations even when you're not in CA.

What Is The Legal Minimum Gambling Age Required To Play Online Poker For Real Money In California?

The legal gambling age at which you can play poker in California is 21 years of age in most cases. The state-tribal compacts do allow players to participate as young as 18 if no alcohol is present, however the state's regulated card rooms will not seat anyone under the age of 21.

This being the case, the legal gambling age for playing poker in California 21 years of age. Some of the offshore regulated California poker sites on this page do accept players as young as 18 years old. However, residents of the state are obligated to comply with state law that requires them to be 21, hence over ruling a website's policy that contradicts the terms of the law.

What Types Of Real Money Poker Games Are Available At California Friendly Offshore Poker Rooms?

The online poker sites recommended in this guide are the industry leaders and premium destinations for CA poker players. One of the reasons they were included in this guide is their strong selection of games on offer. Nearly all poker sites will include the most popular games, such as Texas Holdem and Omaha. The more robust online poker operations also include 5 card and 7 card stud, Caribbean stud poker, RAZZ, HORSE and other specialty poker games, with a range of options that include limit and no limit games.

In addition, the high quality poker sites also offer an active tournament schedule that spans a range of buyins and prize packages. The most recent addition to game menus at our recommended brands is their mobile poker game platforms that they have integrated to provide their players with mobile access to their games and tournaments. We are not sure if the state licensed poker sites will include a mobile option or not, we will have to wait and see once they launch their websites either in late 2015 or early 2016.

Are All Online Poker Rooms Considered Safe?

Important California Gambling Resources

Absolutely not! There are a number of predatory, rogue, questionable and simply low quality online gambling destinations on the Web. It is extremely critical that you educate yourself on this aspect prior to participating at any online gambling site of any kind.

The best way to avoid the undesirable poker sites is to consider the input of professionals who have thoroughly vetted and approved specific online poker gambling sites. This guide, and others like it are developed by teams of online gambling experts who have the experience and knowledge to effectively evaluate an online poker brand and determine its legitimacy within the industry and its value to players.

The resources listed below are provided in support of anyone who is concerned about a potential gambling problem of any kind. Should you have concerns in this area, please contact one of the resources listed below where you will find support and assistance for dealing with any gambling related issues.

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