California is a hub for poker, with more than 100 poker rooms scattered throughout the state. These are in card rooms and tribal casinos. Some, such as Commerce Casino and the Bicycle Casino, earn worldwide acclaim for hosting prominent poker events like the World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker. Others, like Hustler Casino, have become popular for their cash games and live streams.
Meanwhile, online poker remains untouched by state laws. During the poker boom, years of debates revealed deep disagreements between card room operators and tribal casinos over how online poker should be handled. As a result, California still does not regulate online poker, and that is unlikely to change in the near future.
That said, offshore poker sites remain available to residents, and in this article, we recommend a few of the most trusted options for players in the Golden State.
California Online Poker Overview
Online poker for real money is not yet regulated in California. However, Californians can safely play on licensed offshore sites and legal sweepstakes platforms.
The Top California Online Poker Sites
Below, you’ll find top-rated sites that cater to California residents, each with standout features like poker bonuses, tournament variety, and fast payouts.
Ignition Poker – Best All-Around Poker Site for California Players
BetOnline Poker – Best California Poker Site for Beginners
Black Chip Poker – Best Site for Free Poker in California
Ignition consistently ranks as one of the most reliable options for California poker players. The site offers a mix of soft competition, steady traffic, and straightforward software. While it doesn’t have HUD support, its anonymous tables appeal to recreational players. Tournaments run daily with varied buy-ins, and the cash-out process is generally smooth. For players looking for a stable, all-purpose platform to play regularly from California, this platform offers a well-rounded experience.
High traffic with active cash games and tournaments.
100% up to $1,000 bonus with tournament tickets.
Fast crypto payments with no fees.
Many tournament options, including PKOs and Sunday Majors.
Min Deposit
10
Payout Speed
1 Day
Best California Poker Site for Beginners
BetOnline is our recommendation for Cali players who are new to online poker. Its interface is simple, and the site runs plenty of low-stakes cash games and tournaments. The traffic isn’t as high as on larger sites, but that also means less intense competition. Some features, like limited HUD restrictions, cater to casual players. Overall, it’s a decent place to build confidence and gradually develop your skills without feeling overwhelmed.
Black Chip Poker gives California players access to a wide range of freerolls and micro-stakes games. These options are helpful for beginners or anyone looking to test the waters without depositing real money. The platform shares a player pool with Americas Cardroom, so tournament variety is strong. However, traffic can skew toward more competitive players during peak hours. Still, it’s one of the few sites where free play can lead to gradual real-money growth.
Massive daily & weekly tournament schedule with high guarantees
Daily freerolls & leaderboards for casual players
Fast Bitcoin withdrawals (1-8 hours)
Min Deposit
10
Payout Speed
1-24 hours
Generous Poker Bonuses
Americas Cardroom stands out for its bonus structure, offering a welcome bonus of up to $2,000 that releases incrementally as you play. While the platform caters more to serious grinders, with support for third-party tools and larger tournament fields, California players who play frequently can benefit from ongoing promotions and cashback programs. The interface can feel a bit dated, but the value on offer is solid for those committed to high-volume play.
Legality of Online Poker in California
Online Poker
Available – Offshore Only
Commercial Poker
Available
Legal Gambling Age
21+
Poker Regulator
California Gambling Control Commission
Is Gambling Legal in California?
Type/Code
Summary
State Code Section(s)
PEN.1.9.10330-337; BPC.4-5
Definition of Gambling
Gambling: To deal, operate, carry on, conduct, maintain, or expose for play any controlled game.
Definition of Banking Game or Banked Game
Banking game or banked game: Does not include a controlled game if the published rules of the game feature a player-dealer position and provide that this position must be continuously and systematically rotated amongst each of the participants during the play of the game, ensure that the player-dealer is able to win or lose only a fixed and limited wager during the play of the game, and preclude the house, another entity, a player, or an observer from maintaining or operating as a bank during the course of the game.
Online Poker/Gambling
For 10 years (2006-2016), lawmakers considered variations of online poker legislation but failed to pass one through both houses. Some special interests were placated through the years, but the tribes and card rooms could not find agreement on “bad actor” language. Lawmakers finally gave up after finding no compromises in 2016 and have yet to revisit the issue.
Live Poker
Live cash games and tournaments are permitted in more than 100 licensed card rooms throughout the state and casinos on Indian reservations. There are special rules pertaining to draw poker, which must be approved by voters in counties with large populations.
Casinos
In addition to card rooms that offer non-house-banked games like poker and California blackjack, casinos are located throughout the state on various Indian reservations. Most of those casinos are complete with table games, slot machines, and other games like keno and bingo.
Sports Betting
A bill introduced in 2017 to legalize sports betting was still in action in 2018 but had yet to pass as of the summer session.
DFS
California considered daily fantasy sports in 2016, but no bill passed, and there have been no proposals since.
California has not legalized or regulated online poker, but state law does not prohibit residents from playing on offshore platforms. These sites operate outside US jurisdiction and continue to accept California-based players without legal risk.
No enforcement action has ever targeted individuals for playing real money poker online, as state authorities focus on those who profit and organize irregular gambling operations, not on individuals.
The state sets the legal gambling age for poker at 18, and most offshore platforms align with this, though some may require players to be 21. These sites typically offer both real money and free-play games, and many support browser-based access without requiring a software download.
The most recent serious attempt to regulate online poker in California came in 2017, when Assemblyman Reginald Jones-Sawyer introduced AB 1677, a bill intended to establish a legal, state-licensed online poker framework. The effort followed nearly a decade of failed proposals but quickly ran into the same longstanding obstacles: disagreements between tribal casinos, commercial cardrooms, and race tracks over market access and licensing control.
Despite early interest, the bill failed to advance out of committee. No similar legislation has been introduced since, and lawmakers have shown little appetite to revisit the issue. As a result, California remains without a regulated online poker market, even as other states have moved forward with multi-state agreements and legal platforms.
Online Poker California Legislation
The path to legalized poker in California has been fraught with frustration and disappointments, failed negotiations and an unwillingness for tribes and card rooms to compromise in any meaningful fashion.
California lawmakers actually started discussing online poker bills during the poker boom, with the first bills proposed in 2008. Assemblyman Mike Gatto once claimed that ever year from 2008 to 2016 saw two to six gambling bills each year go from proposal to failure in various forms.
The most prolific year of California online poker bills was 2015, when Assemblymen Jones-Sawyer, Gatto, Adam Gray, and Isadore Hall proposed bills, some of which made it through committee approvals but failed to go further. Gray found similar committee success in 2016, even prompting race track entities to accept a subsidy to stay out of online poker. However, the broader California Assembly did not find the issue compelling enough to move forward.
That led to Jones-Sawyer introducing a bill in 2017 simply out of a dedication to the issue, but it expectedly failed to gain any traction. That was the last effort for any frustrated lawmakers.
The Basics of Online Poker in California
You don’t need to know much about California to know that poker is massively popular in the state. Whether it’s the constant action at the state’s card rooms, the regular presence of California-based players on poker’s world stage, or the steady stream of online poker news coming from the state, everything points to one conclusion: Californians are playing Internet poker in numbers that far outstrip any other state in the US (and probably quite a few countries as well).
Like most poker players, they want to know they’re playing at a reputable site that offers a fair game. We recommend exclusively licensed and regulated sites in their respective jurisdictions, ensuring Californians play solely on legal online poker platforms.
Play Poker Responsibly in California
Online poker can be a fun and rewarding pastime, but it’s important to stay mindful of your habits. Set clear limits, play within your means, and take breaks when needed. If you or someone you know needs help, the following resources offer guidance and support:
Since California is yet to pass any legislation that regulates online poker, players in the Golden State will continue to access real money games through offshore poker sites.
The best options include Ignition, BetOnline, and ACR, each offering a mix of tournaments, quick deposits, and unique features. There are no legal consequences for Californians playing on these sites, who will rely on them until the state authorizes its own regulated poker platforms.
Jennifer Newell is a freelance writer at LegalUsPokerSites. She has two decades of experience in the iGaming industry. She is a respected poker media member, contributing to publications and websites like USA Today, PokerStars, and PokerScout. Her knowledge spans gambling legislation and the broader online gaming world. She has spent years advocating for diversity, most notably gender equity in the traditionally male-dominated poker sphere.
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