Is sports betting legal in California? No. California sports betting is illegal online and in person: Penal Code 337a makes bookmaking and taking sports bets a crime, and voters turned down both legalization measures in 2022. Horse racing is the only legal way to bet on a sporting result. No sports betting measure is on the November 2026 ballot. Last checked October 13, 2026.
The rundown
- 01No sportsbook is legal; horse racing is the only legal sports wager.
- 02Voters rejected both 2022 measures: Prop 26 with 67 percent no, Prop 27 with 82.3 percent no.
- 03The Attorney General says paid daily fantasy is illegal sports wagering; no court has ruled.
- 04Sweepstakes sportsbooks have been a crime since January 1, 2026.
- StatusNot legal
- Prop 27 yes17.7%
- SweepstakesBanned
- 2026 ballotNone
Why California sports betting is still illegal
Two layers stand in the way of California sports betting. Article IV, Section 19 of the California Constitution forbids the Legislature to authorize casinos of the kind found in Nevada and New Jersey, while allowing the state lottery, horse racing, charitable bingo and, since Prop 1A in 2000, tribal casinos under compacts. Penal Code 337a then makes pool selling, bookmaking and accepting bets on contests a crime, punishable for a first offense by up to a year in custody, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. Sports betting would need a constitutional amendment approved by voters.
The 2022 votes: Prop 26 and Prop 27
In November 2022 Californians voted on two rival sports betting measures, both constitutional amendments, and rejected both. Prop 26, backed by tribes, would have allowed in-person betting at tribal casinos and four private racetracks. Prop 27, backed by national operators, would have allowed online betting by tribes or large companies partnered with a tribe. Both failed, and California sports betting stayed illegal.
3,514,597 yes · 7,129,127 no · official result
1,906,342 yes · 8,849,206 no · official result
Prop 27 drew 1,906,342 yes votes against 8,849,206 no votes. The result left California with no legal sports betting at all: sports betting is not legal in California in any form, retail or online.
Backed by tribes. In-person sports betting at tribal casinos and at four private horse racetracks, plus roulette and dice games at tribal casinos.
- Result: 33% yes, 67% no
- Would have set the betting age at 21
Backed by national operators. Online and mobile betting statewide through tribes or large gambling companies partnered with a tribe.
- Result: 17.7% yes, 82.3% no
- Would have charged a $100 million license fee per company
- Prop 1A lets tribes run slots and card games under state compacts.
- Voters reject Prop 26 (tribal casinos and racetracks) and Prop 27 (online betting).
- Attorney General Opinion 23-1001: paid daily fantasy is sports wagering under Penal Code 337a.
- AB 831 signed: online dual-currency sweepstakes that simulate betting become a crime.
- The sweepstakes ban takes effect.
- The Ninth Circuit sides with two California tribes in their case over Kalshi sports contracts.
What it would take to legalize sports betting in California
These are the steps any future measure has to clear. Until one measure clears all of them, sports betting is not legal in California.
Path to legal sports betting
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Done twice in 2022: Prop 26 and Prop 27 both reached the ballot through initiative petitions. An amendment can also come from a two-thirds vote of both chambers of the Legislature.
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Failed in 2022: Prop 26 won 33 percent and Prop 27 17.7 percent. Nothing qualified for the November 2026 ballot.
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Any model built around tribal gaming would also need amended compacts, approved by the state and the US Interior Department.
Status today: no measure is circulating or qualified for 2026. Tribal gaming groups have pointed to 2028 in trade reports.
Can I use DraftKings in California? The apps Californians ask about
Most questions about California betting apps are really about DraftKings, FanDuel and PrizePicks. Pick an app to see where it stands under California law.
Choose an app to see its status in California.
HeardCalifornia voted against online betting, so the question is closed.
ActuallyVoters rejected two specific measures in 2022. A new constitutional amendment can still be proposed by initiative or by the Legislature.
HeardFantasy apps are legal because they still operate.
ActuallyThey still operate, but the Attorney General concluded in 2025 that paid daily fantasy is sports wagering under Penal Code 337a.
Daily fantasy after the 2025 Attorney General opinion
On July 3, 2025 the Attorney General published Opinion 23-1001, concluding that paid daily fantasy contests with players in California, both draft-style and pick'em, are sports wagering banned by Penal Code 337a. Attorney General opinions guide courts but do not bind them, and no enforcement action has followed. The large fantasy operators, the closest thing to California betting apps today, still accept Californians, and private lawsuits over the contests are working their way through the courts.
Sweepstakes and prediction markets
AB 831, signed on October 11, 2025, created Penal Code 337o: from January 1, 2026, operating or supporting an online dual-currency sweepstakes game that simulates gambling, sports wagering included, is a misdemeanor. Prediction markets are a separate fight. They run under federal CFTC rules, the Attorney General has joined multistate briefs against Kalshi, and on September 16, 2026 the Ninth Circuit held that two California tribes are likely to win their federal gaming claim over Kalshi contracts entered on tribal land.
What gambling is legal in California
Horse racing is the one legal way to bet on a sporting result in California, at tracks such as Santa Anita Park and through online accounts approved by the California Horse Racing Board.
Legal in California
- Pari-mutuel horse racing, including approved online accounts
- California Lottery
- Slots and card games at tribal casinos
- Licensed cardrooms and charitable bingo and raffles
Not legal in California
- Sportsbooks, online or in person
- Sweepstakes games that imitate sports betting
- Nevada- or New Jersey-style commercial casinos
- Offshore sportsbooks
Where Californians can bet legally
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The law that matters is where you stand when you bet. Nevada has full retail and mobile betting, Arizona online betting for people inside the state, and Oregon online betting through DraftKings under the Oregon Lottery.
- Not legal
- Online and in person
- In person at tribal casinos only
- In person only
Help with gambling in California
Call 1-800-GAMBLER, text SUPPORT to 53342 or chat at 800gambler.chat. The California Department of Public Health's Office of Problem Gambling runs CalGETS, free and confidential treatment for anyone 18 and over. The Attorney General's self-exclusion program covers cardrooms for one year or for life, but not tribal casinos.
California sports betting questions
Is sports betting legal in California?
No. There are no licensed sportsbooks, online or in person. Penal Code 337a makes bookmaking and accepting sports bets a crime, and the constitution bars Nevada- and New Jersey-style casinos. Pari-mutuel horse racing is the only legal wagering on a sports outcome.
Can I use DraftKings in California?
Not the sportsbook. DraftKings still offers fantasy contests in California, but in July 2025 the Attorney General concluded in Opinion 23-1001 that paid daily fantasy, draft-style or pick'em, is illegal sports wagering under Penal Code 337a. The opinion is advisory and no court has ruled.
Can I bet on FanDuel in California?
No, FanDuel's sportsbook is not available in California. Its fantasy contests fall under the same 2025 Attorney General opinion as DraftKings'.
Are PrizePicks allowed in California?
PrizePicks still lists California for players 18 and over. The Attorney General's 2025 opinion covers pick'em contests too and calls them sports wagering, but it is not binding and no enforcement action has followed.
Why did Props 26 and 27 fail?
Voters rejected both on November 8, 2022. Prop 26, in-person betting at tribal casinos and four racetracks, got 33 percent yes. Prop 27, online betting run by large operators with tribal partners, got 17.7 percent.
Will California legalize sports betting?
Not in 2026: no sports betting measure qualified for the November 2026 ballot. Legalization needs a constitutional amendment approved by voters, proposed either by a two-thirds vote of the Legislature or by an initiative petition.
Are sweepstakes sportsbooks legal in California?
No. AB 831, signed on October 11, 2025, added Penal Code 337o, which makes online dual-currency sweepstakes games that simulate gambling, sports wagering included, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $1,000 to $25,000 and up to a year in jail.
Are prediction markets like Kalshi legal in California?
They operate under federal CFTC rules and hold no California license. California's Attorney General has joined multistate briefs against Kalshi, and in September 2026 the Ninth Circuit sided with two California tribes in their federal gaming claim over Kalshi contracts on tribal land and sent the case back to the trial court.
What gambling is legal in California?
The California Lottery, pari-mutuel horse racing including online advance-deposit wagering, slots and card games at tribal casinos under compacts, cardrooms offering certain card games, and charitable bingo and raffles.
Where is the nearest legal sports betting to California?
Nevada has full retail and mobile betting, Arizona has online betting for people located in Arizona, and Oregon allows online betting through DraftKings under the Oregon Lottery.
Where can I get help with gambling in California?
Call 1-800-GAMBLER or text SUPPORT to 53342. The state's CalGETS program offers free, confidential treatment to Californians 18 and over and to people affected by someone else's gambling.