California Sports Betting: When Will It Be Legalized?

California sports betting remains the white whale of the industry—highly sought after but still out of reach. Major sportsbooks have long set their sights on California as the ultimate market for expansion, yet legalization efforts have repeatedly failed. The absence of regulated sports betting options in the state highlights the importance of recognizing unregulated offshore sportsbooks that claim to be legal. The most recent attempt was soundly defeated in November 2022, and no new initiative has made it to the ballot.
Could 2025 be the year that sportsbooks finally capture their elusive prize? While no legislative progress has been made, speculation continues about the future of California online sports betting once a viable framework is established. Let RotoGrinders be your guide as we explore the current state of sports betting and DFS in California, past attempts at legalization, potential future developments, and which sportsbooks are eager to enter the market.
- 1 California DFS Prop Betting Sites
- 2 Best Betting Promo Codes in California
- 3 Other Alternatives to California Sports Betting
- 4 Efforts to Legalize Online Sports Betting in California
- 5 Current Political Landscape
- 6 California Prop 26 and Prop 27
- 7 Sportsbooks Potentially Coming to California
- 8 California Professional Sports Teams
- 9 California Sports Betting FAQ
California DFS Prop Betting Sites

While sports betting may not be legal in California, sports fans can still play on their favorite daily fantasy sports sites like PrizePicks, Underdog Fantasy, and Betr Picks. There are also new, emerging DFS prop sites available in California every day.
Additionally, future California betting sites may offer features such as market coverage, bonuses, and user experience reviews for sports bettors in the state. California sports betting sites will present different sportsbooks available for bettors, emphasizing the features and benefits specific to each site.
There is also potential for future legislation to legalize online sports betting in California, which would create a regulatory framework and establish eligibility requirements for various entities wishing to offer online betting services.
If you’re looking for traditional daily fantasy sports, you can sign up at FanDuel using the FanDuel DFS promo code.
Best Betting Promo Codes in California

Though California sports betting isn’t legal yet, you can claim promo codes from the top DFS operators. Even better, if you’re a college sports fan, you can use these sites to pick props for college football and college basketball. The potential for California sports betting legalization could significantly impact the availability of promo codes and expand betting options in the state.
You can also get exclusive DFS and sports betting tips, analysis, and tools for all of these sites and more by subscribing to RotoGrinders Premium content!
Learn more about Underdog Fantasy CA in our guide.
Other Alternatives to California Sports Betting
The potential legalization of online betting in California faces significant challenges, including prior ballot rejections and public sentiment against such measures.
If DFS isn’t you’re thing and you want something more similar to actual sports betting, consider signing up for these social sportsbooks in California:
💬 California Social Sportsbook | 💵 CA Social Sportsbook Welcome Bonus |
Fliff | Use Fliff promo code |
Thrillzz | Use Thrillzz promo code |
Efforts to Legalize Online Sports Betting in California

Sports betting legal status in California remains unchanged, as both traditional and online sports betting are illegal. California has limited legal gambling options for such a large and populous state. There is a state lottery and four horse racing tracks, but that’s pretty much it—all the gambling in the state centers around the Native American tribes and their dozens of casinos.
Over 70 tribal casinos are operating in the state, most of which offer table games and slot machines but none of which offer sports betting. In fact, California is the biggest state in the country for tribal gaming revenue (over $9 billion wagered annually), a fact that is not lost on the tribes or their supporters in the legislature. Horse racing tracks like Santa Anita Park play a significant role in the current legal landscape of gambling and are integral to tribal-backed proposals for legalizing in-person wagering.
Since California is the most populous state in the country, it is obviously the biggest state without legal sports betting. Mobile sports betting coming to New York (8.3 million) was big, but mobile sports betting in California (39.1 million) would be HUGE. It’s not an exaggeration to say that billions of dollars in revenue for both the state and the sportsbooks are on the line. Traditional sports betting is illegal, and the failed ballot measures from November 2022 to legalize it have significant implications for bettors in California.
Current Political Landscape

California sports betting has been discussed for many years, but powerful tribes have successfully lobbied the state legislature not to expand gambling, including sports betting. Bills in the legislature have been introduced but haven’t gained much traction. The influence of the tribes, combined with historical resistance in the legislature to expand gambling, has resulted in a stasis that shows no signs of changing. The ongoing efforts and complexities surrounding legalizing sports betting in California involve interactions between lawmakers, tribal interests, and various stakeholders, complicating the potential expansion despite its significant economic benefits for the state.
Enter the initiative process. California is famous for its initiatives, a citizen-driven movement that lets people vote on policy changes usually reserved for the state legislature. Initiatives are popular in many states, mainly in the West, and special interest groups often use them to advance a policy goal stymied in the legislature.
After failing to garner support in the legislature, it was widely expected that the biggest sportsbooks would attempt to legalize sports betting through an initiative, and in 2022, that expectation became a reality when Proposition (Prop) 27 qualified for the November ballot. This online sports betting measure faced significant opposition from tribal casinos and did not pass.
A similar process was undergone in 2024. The Pala Band of Mission Indians have expressed their intention to file an online sports betting initiative. The Pala Band of Mission Indians have a history of being aggressive in online gaming as they spent around $3 million to oppose Proposition 27, which was backed by commercial gaming operators.
By April 2025, an initiative from national operators, DraftKings and FanDuel, aims to harmonize the interests of the 109 federally recognized tribes in California with those of commercial operators. This initiative, backed by the Sports Betting Alliance (SBA), aims to ensure that tribes maintain control while benefiting from revenue-sharing agreements with operators.
If successful, this collaboration could pave the way for a regulated California sports betting market while respecting tribal sovereignty and state regulations. However, legal uncertainties, including compliance with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), remain key factors in determining its viability.

Update: October 2023
In October 2023, a group connected to the Pala Band filed two initiatives with the state to give tribes full control of sports betting in California. The timing is curious because other tribes and the state tribal trade association have all said they were not consulted about the initiative before it was filed. If the initiative sponsors can get enough signatures, the initiative(s) will be on the ballot sometime in the future. Stay tuned as we continue to update you on the latest news out of CA.
Update #2: November 2023
The California Nations Indian Gaming Association, a trade group representing the largest tribes in the state, came out in fierce opposition to the initiatives proposed by the aforementioned group. It remains odd that the initiative sponsors want to pursue an initiative so opposed by the very groups it would affect. Either way, this initiative is dead on arrival.
Update #3: January 2024
The initiative does not have enough support to make it to the ballot in 2024 and did not qualify for a vote of the people this year. Efforts to legalize sports betting in CA are all but dead for the year.
Update #4: April 2025
In a groundbreaking development, California’s tribal leaders and major sportsbook operators are contemplating a collaborative approach to legalizing California sports betting. The proposed model envisions the formation of a single tribal entity that would partner with national operators, like DraftKings and FanDuel, to offer online sports betting services.
California Prop 26 and Prop 27

Note: As you are probably aware, both Prop 26 and Prop 27 were rejected by voters in November 2022. We are leaving this content on the page because it is useful information, and future initiatives will likely contain much of the same language and content that were in the 2022 initiatives.
This is where things get complicated. Not one but two initiatives related to sports betting qualified for the November 2022 ballot, which means the voters decided whether to legalize sports betting in California. While California residents face high taxes on sports betting profits, neighboring states—Arizona, Nevada, and Oregon—have all legalized online sports betting, presenting a contrast to California’s situation. The two initiatives relate to sports betting, but they are very different. Let’s break them both down, starting with Prop 26.
California Prop 26
Prop 26 would have legalized California sports betting but would have limited it to retail wagering at the existing tribal casinos in the state along with the state’s four horse tracks. Under Prop 26, sports betting would be retail-only, a massive bummer for bettors because over 80% of wagers nationwide are made on smartphones or computers.
The tribes support Prop 26, but they do not see sports betting as a huge moneymaker. Rather, they seek to consolidate gambling in the state and shut out outside operators. Casino gaming is far more profitable than sports betting, so this is more about keeping others out than gaining revenue from sports betting. We’ve seen this play out in a few states where the tribes control sports betting, including Maine, North Carolina, Washington State, and Wisconsin. This strategy does not result in significant revenue for the state, but it does allow tribes to maximize their revenue streams to provide for their members.
Where the Revenue From Prop 26 Would Have Gone
Most of the revenue would go to the state’s tribes, which would most likely virtually keep all the revenue generated from retail sports betting at their casinos. Each tribal compact would need to be renegotiated with the state to include sports betting if Prop 26 were to pass, but the revenue split wasn’t expected to change. The four horse tracks would have their retail sports betting revenue taxed at 10%, and that money would be split between responsible gambling initiatives and the state general fund.
Supporters of Prop 26
The state’s tribes were supportive of Prop 26, which doesn’t come as a surprise. The surprise is that not all of them were on board. Some tribes that do not operate casinos supported Prop 27 because a percentage of the tax revenue from that initiative would go to their tribes. The state Democratic party was neutral on Prop 26, which is significant because Democrats control the legislature and all statewide offices. The Democrats’ neutrality on the issue is a win for the tribes and is due in no small part to the sizable campaign contributions they made to Democratic lawmakers.
Opponents of Prop 26
The state’s card room operators opposed Prop 26 because it would further consolidate the tribe’s hold on gambling in the state. Card rooms offer a few card games like poker and blackjack but do not have slot machines or dice games, which severely limits their potential revenue. Their influence may not be significant, but card rooms employ many people in smaller communities throughout the state, so their opposition carries some weight.
Not surprisingly, the major sportsbooks also opposed Prop 26. Allowing sports betting to be solely offered by the tribes would be a devastating development to the sportsbooks, many of which have staked their futures on the legalization of sports betting in California. If you are skeptical about that, consider Fantatics Sportsbook, a sportsbook that doesn’t even exist yet, committed up to $100 million to help pass Prop 27. It is not hyperbole to say that the future of sports betting as an industry was tied to California and Prop 27. So, yeah, they opposed Prop 26.
California Prop 27
While Prop 26 limits sports betting to tribal casinos, Prop 27 would have fully legalized mobile sports wagering throughout the state. That part is true, but there’s a catch. The initiative is over 60 pages long, and one of the buried details reveals that, in order to qualify for a coveted license, a sportsbook must operate in 10 or more states, which would have limited the possible sportsbooks entering the California market to the following:
That’s it. Splitting up the California market in six ways is a dream come true for the six lucky sportsbooks, but it is a pretty raw deal for everyone else who is left out. But if you pay the bills, you get to make the rules, and the above sportsbooks bankrolled Prop 27, so they unsurprisingly snuck in a provision that grants them exclusive access to the market (for now).
It won’t be cheap to enter the California market. Under Prop 27, sportsbooks would have to pay an eye-watering $100 million license fee and a $10 million renewal fee every five years. On top of that, they would pay a reasonable 10 percent tax rate. Interestingly, tribes can also open their own branded sportsbook as a part of the initiative if they pay a $10 million license fee. We’ve seen tribes in other states roll out their own branded sportsbooks with limited success. Of course, those other states aren’t California.
Where the Revenue From Prop 27 Would Have Gone
The tax revenue generated from Prop 27 would eventually add up to billions of dollars for the state. Prop 27 directs 85% of the taxes from sports betting to go toward funding mental health and homelessness initiatives, a worthy use of public funds that has led initiative backers to call Prop 27 the “California Solutions for Homelessness and Mental Health Act.” The other 15% would go to the tribes without casinos, which is why, as mentioned, those tribes supported Prop 27 and opposed Prop 26.
Supporters of Prop 27
Not surprisingly, the biggest sportsbooks were the biggest supporters of Prop 27, putting hundreds of millions of dollars into efforts to pass the initiative. Prop 27 was the costliest initiative in state history, which is saying something. Up to $300 million was spent trying to convince people to vote for or against it.
Opponents of Prop 27
Even though Prop 27 requires sportsbook operators to partner with a tribe to qualify for a license, the vast majority of the tribes in the state are vehemently opposed to the initiative. They see it as something close to an existential threat to their sovereignty, partially because they believe they have exclusive rights to gambling in the state. Another reason is if people can bet on sports from their couch, they may be less likely to get in their car and venture to a casino to gamble. A third reason is that the tribes believe the passage of Prop 27 could eventually lead to a further expansion of online gambling that would include casino gaming, which could put the tribal casinos out of business.
The tribes and their allied partners put up a serious fight against Prop 27, pledging up to $100 million to defeat the initiative while also spending big to promote their own Prop 26 initiative. The state Democratic party formally opposed Prop 27, aligning with the tribes in their fight against the big, out-of-state mobile sportsbook operators. This is a big deal because many other organizations like labor unions and progressive nonprofits take their lead from the Democrats and opposed Prop 27 in solidarity with the party.
Sportsbooks Potentially Coming to California
Every sportsbook wants to be in California, but not all of them will end up in the state. This is because of the aforementioned provision in the initiative that required a sportsbook to be operational in 10 or more states in order to qualify for a license to operate in California. This is a sneaky way for the big sportsbooks to keep the little guys out. Whenever sports betting comes to CA, we expect the following sportsbooks to be the first ones to launch in California:
- BetMGM
- Caesars
- FanDuel
- DraftKings
- BetRivers
The anticipated market for California online sports betting is expected to be highly competitive, with various platforms offering unique features and benefits to attract bettors. Prop 27 required a sportsbook to partner with a tribe in order to qualify for a license. With over 100 tribes in the state, all the sportsbooks should be able to easily find a partner. The $100 million license fee is steep, but with 23 million people in the state over 21, the fee is a small price to pay for access to the biggest market in the country. The biggest hurdle for sportsbooks to overcome is, by design, the 10-state requirement.
California Professional Sports Teams

California is home to a whopping 22 professional sports teams in eight different leagues. Here are all the pro teams in the state.
Professional Sports Team | League |
---|---|
LAFC | MLS |
LA Galaxy | MLS |
San Jose Earthquakes | MLS |
Golden State Warriors | NBA |
Los Angeles Lakers | NBA |
Los Angeles Clippers | NBA |
Sacramento Kings | NBA |
San Diego Padres | MLB |
Los Angeles Dodgers | MLB |
Los Angeles Angels | MLB |
San Francisco Giants | MLB |
Oakland Athletics | MLB |
San Francisco 49ers | NFL |
Los Angeles Chargers | NFL |
Los Angeles Rams | NFL |
San Jose Sharks | NHL |
Los Angeles Kings | NHL |
Anaheim Ducks | NHL |
Los Angeles Sparks | WNBA |
San Diego Wave FC | NWSL |
Angel City FC | NWSL |
San Diego Seals | NLL |
California Sports Betting FAQ
When will sports betting be legal in California?
Because Props 26 and 27 didn’t pass in 2022, it is anyone’s guess when sports betting will come to California. The sportsbooks could bankroll another initiative, but they are still figuring out if that would be an effective strategy. The ongoing legislative efforts and the complexities involved in legalizing California sports betting, including interactions between lawmakers, tribal interests, and various stakeholders, further complicate the potential expansion of California sports betting. The bottom line is that it will be several years before sports betting is legal in the state, if it ever happens.
What happens now that California Prop 27 didn’t pass?
It may seem like legalized California sports betting is inevitable, but that is not true. Efforts to legalize sports betting in the legislature have gone nowhere, even as many other state legislatures have decided to bring sports betting to their states. The power and influence of California’s tribes have kept mobile betting from coming to the state, which won’t change anytime soon. Prop 27 is not the last chance for legal mobile sports betting to go to California, but because it did not pass, several years may pass before we see legalized sports betting in the Golden State, and even that is not a guarantee.
Which sportsbooks will launch in California?
The first wave of sportsbooks to open up shop in California will likely include BetMGM, FanDuel, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, and BetRivers. California bettors will have a variety of options available to them once these sportsbooks launch in the state.
What are sportsbooks doing to promote responsible betting?
Every sportsbook puts forth a lot of time and effort to promote responsible gambling. Such efforts include deposit and time limits on the app and a self-exclusion option that allows users to ban themselves for a certain amount of time. The sports betting industry also helps fund nonprofits such as the National Council on Problem Gambling, which offers a helpline and chatline for people who need to talk to someone about their gambling problem.