3/27/2022
Is Betting Legal In California
Legalized sports betting has flourished across the country, and for a while it looked as though California, with the backing of the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball, would be the next state to. Betting real money or anything of value on the outcomes of sports events is not legal in California. Well, that’s not entirely accurate. The correct interpretation of the law is that no entity is legally allowed to accept bets where real money or anything of value is staked.
Legislative Analyst's Office, January 1998
California gambling law is among the most liberal in the country, outside of New Jersey and Nevada. As a frontier state, California has a long history with gambling, both regulated and unregulated. Because California’s population swelled during the 20th century, it’s now one of the most influential states in America. California Senator Bill Dodd, a sponsor of the legislation that would legalize sports betting in the nation’s most-populous state, said he was pulling the bill because of opposition from tribal.
Introduction | Gambling in the United States is a multibillion dollar industry and is rapidly expanding. Consumer spending on gambling activities nationwide has outpaced the growth in personal income over the past 14 years. Additionally, consumers have made a dramatic shift in the types of gambling activities they are participating in, with wagering on charitable games and horse races declining significantly. In this report, we outline the nationwide gambling industry, and discuss in more detail what is occurring in the California gambling industry. The California gambling industry includes the state lottery, card rooms, horse race wagering, charitable gambling, and gambling on Indian lands. With regard to gambling on Indian lands, we recommend the Legislature clarify the state's role in this area. |
Table of Contents | GAMBLING IN THE UNITED STATES
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Gambling in the United States
What Kind of Gambling Is Allowed?
Size of the Gambling Industry
| Figure 2 | ||||
| Gross Gambling Revenues by Industry Segment United States 1982 and 1996 | ||||
| (In Billions) | ||||
| 1982 | 1996 | |||
| Amount | Percent of Total | Amount | Percent of Total | |
| Casinos | $4.2 | 40.0% | $17.5 | 36.7% |
| Lotteries | 2.2 | 21.0 | 16.2 | 34.0 |
| Horse Racing | 2.2 | 21.0 | 3.2 | 6.7 |
| Charitable | 1.2 | 13.0 | 2.4 | 5.0 |
| Card Rooms | 0.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 1.5 |
| Other | 0.6 | 6.0 | 2.3 | 4.8 |
| Indian | -- | -- | 5.4 | 11.3 |
| Totals | $10.5 | 100.0% | $47.7 | 100.0% |
Indian Gambling
Gambling in California
Lottery
| Figure 6 |
| California State Lottery Games |
| As of December 1997 |
| Super Lotto |
| Scratchers |
| Fantasy 5 |
| Daily 3 |
| Hot Spot |
| Big SpinTelevision Show |
Card Rooms
| Figure 7 | |||
| Location and Size of California Card Rooms by County | |||
| (As of October 1997) | |||
| Number of | |||
| County | Card Rooms | Tables | Range of Number of Tables Per Card Room |
| Alameda | 5 | 59 | 2-40 |
| Butte | 4 | 12 | 3 |
| Colusa | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Contra Costa | 12 | 145 | 1-100 |
| Fresno | 4 | 33 | 1-25 |
| Humboldt | 3 | 9 | 2-4 |
| Imperial | 3 | 9 | 3 |
| Kern | 10 | 50 | 1-15 |
| Kings | 3 | 7 | 2-3 |
| Lake | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Lassen | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Los Angeles | 6 | 914 | 44-300 |
| Madera | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Marin | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Merced | 5 | 10 | 1-3 |
| Mono | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Monterey | 11 | 38 | 2-7 |
| Napa | 2 | 17 | 5-12 |
| Nevada | 2 | 6 | 3 |
| Placer | 2 | 3 | 1-2 |
| Riverside | 3 | 44 | 2-39 |
| Sacramento | 16 | 86 | 3-10 |
| San Benito | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| San Bernardino | 1 | 25 | 25 |
| San Diego | 9 | 64 | 1-25 |
| San Joaquin | 7 | 30 | 3-8 |
| San Luis Obispo | 7 | 16 | 2-3 |
| San Mateo | 3 | 48 | 3-35 |
| Santa Clara | 6 | 98 | 1-40 |
| Santa Cruz | 8 | 16 | 1-3 |
| Santa Barbara | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Shasta | 2 | 20 | 4-16 |
| Sierra | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Solano | 2 | 5 | 2-3 |
| Sonoma | 4 | 21 | 1-12 |
| Stanislaus | 5 | 22 | 3-6 |
| Tulare | 13 | 24 | 1-3 |
| Tuolumne | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Ventura | 4 | 14 | 2-6 |
| Yolo | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Yuba | 3 | 9 | 1-4 |
| Totals | 176 | 1,883 | |
Horse Racing
| Figure 10 | |||
| 1996 California Horse Race Meetings and Total Parimutuel Handle | |||
| (Dollars in Millions) | |||
| Track | City (County) | Meet Dates | Handlea |
| Thoroughbred Race Meetings | |||
| Santa Anita Park | Arcadia (Los Angeles) | 12/26/95-04/22/96 | $820.6 |
| Hollywood Park | Inglewood (Los Angeles) | 04/26/96-07/22/96 | 589.3 |
| Del Mar | Del Mar (San Diego) | 07/24/96-09/11/96 | 425.7 |
| Golden Gate Fields | Albany (Contra Costa) | 03/27/96-12/22/96 | 323.3 |
| Bay Meadows | San Mateo (San Mateo) | 01/24/96-11/04/96 | 305.7 |
| Quarter Horse Race Meetings | |||
| Los Alamitos | Cypress (Los Angeles) | 04/19/96-12/22/96 | $169.1 |
| Harness Race Meetings | |||
| Los Alamitos | Cypress (Los Angeles) | 12/22/95-04/07/96 | $56.0 |
| Cal Expo | Sacramento (Sacramento) | 04/12/96-07/21/96 | 28.5 |
| Los Angeles County Fair | Pomona (Los Angeles) | 09/12/96-09/30/96 | $92.9 |
| Sonoma County Fair | Santa Rosa (Sonoma) | 07/24/96-08/05/96 | 30.9 |
| Alameda County Fair | Pleasanton (Alameda) | 06/26/96-07/07/96 | 29.9 |
| San Mateo County Fair | Bay Meadows Track (San Mateo) | 08/07/96-08/19/96 | 28.4 |
| Solano County Fair | Vallejo (Solano) | 07/10/96-07/22/96 | 25.4 |
| California State Fair | Sacramento (Sacramento) | 08/21/96-09/02/96 | 17.8 |
| San Joaquin County Fair | Stockton (San Joaquin) | 06/12/96-06/23/96 | 12.5 |
| Fresno District Fair | Fresno (Fresno) | 10/02/96-10/13/96 | 6.7 |
| Humboldt County Fair | Ferndale (Humboldt) | 08/08/96-08/18/96 | 1.6 |
| aHandle as defined on page 2. | |||
Charitable Gambling
Is Super Bowl Betting Legal In California
Indian Gambling
| Figure 12 | |||
| Indian Gambling Operations in California | |||
| As of July 1997 | |||
| County | Facility Name | City | Owner/Operator |
| Amador | Jackson Indian Bingo and Casino | Jackson | Jackson Rancheria Band of Miwuk Indians |
| Butte | Feather Falls Casino | Oroville | Mooretown Rancheria |
| Gold Country Casino | Oroville | Tyme Maidu Tribe of the Berry Creek Rancheria | |
| Colusa | Colusa Indian Bingo | Colusa | Colusa Band of Wintun Indians |
| Del Norte | Golden Bear Casino | Klammath | Coast Indian Community of the Resighini Rancheria |
| Elk Valley Casino | Crescent City | Elk Valley Rancheria | |
| Lucky 7 Casino | Smith River | Smith River Rancheria | |
| Fresno | Mono Wind Casino | Auberry | Auberry Big Sandy Rancheria |
| Table Mountain Rancheria Casino and Bingo | Friant | Table Mountain Rancheria | |
| Humboldt | Hoopa | Lucky Bear Casino and Bingo | Hoopa Valley Tribe |
| Cher-Ae Heights Bingo and Casino | Trinidad | Trinidad Rancheria | |
| Imperial | Paradise Casino | Winterhaven | Quechan Indian Tribe |
| Inyo | Sierra Spring Casino | Big Pine | Big Pine Paiute Tribe of the Owens Valley |
| Konocti Vista Casino and Bingo | Finley | Big Valley Rancheria of Pomo Indians | |
| Paiute Palace Casino | -- | Bishop Paiute Tribe | |
| Kings | The Palace Indian Gaming Center | Lemoore | Santa Rosa Band of Tachi Indians of the Santa Rosa Rancheria |
| Lake | Twin Pines Casino | Middletown | Lake Miwok Indian Nation of the Middletown Rancheria |
| Robinson Rancheria Bingo and Casino | Nice | Robinson Rancheria of Pomo Indians | |
| Lassen | Northern Lights Casino | Susanville | Susanville Indian Rancheria |
| Mendocino | Red Fox Casino and Bingo | Laytonville | Cahto Tribe of the Laytonville Rancheria |
| Shodaki Coyote Valley Casino | -- | Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians | |
| Hopland Sho-ka-wah Casino | Hopland | Hopland Band of Pomo Indians | |
| Black Hart Casino | -- | Sherwood Valley Rancheria | |
| Riverside | Spa Hotel and Casino | Palm Springs | Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians |
| Cabazon Bingo Inc., Fantasy Springs Casino | Indio | Cabazon Band of Mission Indians | |
| Cahuilla Creek Rest and Casino | -- | Cahuilla Band of Mission Indians | |
| Casino Morongo | Cabazon | Morongo Band of Mission Indians | |
| Soboba Legends Casino | San Jacinto | Soboba Band of Mission Indians | |
| Pechanga Entertainment Center | Temecula | Temecula Band of Luiseno Mission Indians | |
| Spotlight 29 Casino | Coachella | Twenty Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians | |
| San Bernardino | Havasu Landing Resort and Casino | Havasu | Chemehuevi Indian Tribe |
| San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino | Highland | San Manuel Band of Mission Indians | |
| San Diego | Barona Casino and Bingo | Lakeside | Barona Band of Mission Indians |
| Sycuan Indian Bingo and Poker Casino | El Cajon | Sycuan Band of Mission Indians | |
| Viejas Casino and Turf Club | Alpine | Viejas Band of Mission Indians | |
| Santa Barbara | Chumash Casino | Santa Ynez | Santa Ynez Band of Mission Indians |
| Shasta | Burney Casino | Burney | Pit River Tribe |
| Win-River Casino Bingo | Redding | Redding Rancheria | |
| Tulare | Eagle Mountain Casino | -- | Tule River Tribe of the Tule River Indian Reservation |
| Tuolumne | Chicken Ranch Bingo | Jamestown | Chicken Ranch Band of Me-Wuk Indians |
| Yolo | Cache Creek Bingo and Casino | Brooks | Rumsey Indian Rancheria |
| Source: National Indian Gaming Commission. | |||
Is Online Betting Legal In California
| AcknowledgmentsThis report was prepared by Megan M. Atkinson, under the supervision of Gerald Beavers. The Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) is a nonpartisan office which provides fiscal and policy information and advice to the Legislature. | Publications To request publications call (916) 445-2375. This report and others are available on the LAO's World Wide Web site at http:// www.lao.ca.gov. The LAO is located at 925 L Street, Suite 1000, Sacramento, CA 95814. |