California Poker Online 2023
To many poker players it is California, The Golden State, that is the heart of the poker world, not Nevada. This is because California hosts dozens of card club tournaments with high stakes throughout the year. Along with land based poker, California online poker is also rather popular. While no laws have been passed to make it legal to operate an online poker site within the state, there are a number of legally licensed and regulated online poker sites located outside of the US that offer legal online poker gambling to players in California and the United States as a whole. With the sheer size of the California population, it is reasonable to assume that a large portion of online poker players reside in California.
Are California Online Poker Websites Legal?
This question is twofold and requires a bit of explanation prior to answering completely. As far as existing poker gambling laws in CA go, the state has traditionally been gambling friendly, allowing for multiple card rooms and poker casinos throughout the state. The poker gambling industry is heavily regulated in California, and despite their comprehensive involvement in the poker industry, the gambling laws in California do not specifically address online poker. This being the case, it’s not easy to determine the legality of California online poker and the law is not very clear on some issues.
What we do know is that at this time, there are no state or federal laws which prohibit players in California from participating in online poker gambling at legal, licensed and regulated poker rooms online that are located outside of the United States. It is currently not legal to operate one of these sites within the state of California however. This would be considered illegal online gambling.
There are several pieces of legislation currently in the works that would legalize online gambling in some form for the state, with several of them addressing poker specifically. The idea of finally having a law in The Golden State that would properly regulate online poker is exciting. Not only will it protect players and online operators, the law will also legitimize the profession and remove the gray areas that online poker players have had to navigate and worry about. It would also provide tremendous financial relief for the state’s fiscal problems. To keep up to date with how the state's efforts to legalize online poker are unfolding, visit our California Online Poker Legalization page which was created to chronicle the progress being made, as well as any setbacks that occur. There has been some interesting activity surrounding efforts in CA to legalize online poker as one lawyer decides to challenge the bad actor clause found in pending California online poker legislation.
Top Online Poker Sites Open To California Players
Play the following CA online poker rooms legally and take advantage of some great welcome bonus offers if you are a new player who has never deposited any funds. Each of these online poker brands has been vetted and evaluated by our team of online poker professionals who have a combined range of experience that spans decades. They have been verified to hold legitimately licensing and certifications, boast a sophisticated security profile, operate using industry leading poker software, and provide an overall high quality online poker gambling experience for players in California and throughout the US.
Bovada Poker - $1000 Signup Bonus Offer
BetOnline Poker - $2500 Signup Bonus Offer
Carbon Poker - $5000 Signup Bonus Offer
The Amazing Spirit of California
Many California online poker players believe vehemently that the state will regulate online poker and the law will be passed. To them, it’s just a matter of time and ironing out the details so the majority of participating parties are happy with the final bill. Just last year poker took center stage in California when one of its residents and professional poker players, Antonio Esfandiari won over $18 million in a tournament – the biggest prize money ever won in a poker tournament.
Another encouraging sign is the stamp of urgency placed on the Senate Bill 678 penned by Senator Lou Correa. By placing a status of urgency on the bill, the Senator makes it possible for the immediate implementation of the bill should it be approved by the majority of both houses. There is another bill by Senator Rod Wright called the Online Poker Bill which will be re-introduced before the end of the year. This makes 2014 a potentially exciting year to look forward to.
What Legal Online Poker Means To Californians
Economically, more money for the state means a departure from the scary thought of more cities in CA possibly going bankrupt. Last April, Stockton CA was allowed to declare bankruptcy. In May 2013, there were 10 other cities in The Golden State under threat of bankruptcy. Just 2 months ago, after Detroit went down that road, experts were predicting that California could be the next victim of fiscal collapse. These are problems that could be solved with much-needed funds from alternative sources, and as of now, state based and regulated California online poker sites could be a large portion of the answer.
The existing legal California online poker sites which are regulated outside of the U.S.A. would face some competition if the state embraces legal online poker, which could be very valuable for players. Such competition usually drives poker sites to fiercely go after your business, competing for your affection by offering the best incentives and most impressive performances. It will not only be more rewarding for players, but will create even more innovative software solutions to draw players in.
Land Based Poker Gambling Destinations in California
For players who prefer a physical, brick and mortar card playing experience, we have listed here some of the most prominent card rooms and poker casinos available in the state.
Agua Caliente Casino Resort and Spa
Of course this is just a small sampling of the multiple land based poker gambling options available in California, but they are some of the premium destinations available.