Is sports betting legal in California in 2025? Latest updates

Without a doubt, California is home to some of the country’s most iconic and arguably most successful sports teams. However, despite this, the state has seen countless gambling legislative efforts fail, ultimately leaving residents to keep asking themselves if sports betting is legal in California yet.

In short, the answer is no.

However, there is hope for the future as California remains the biggest untapped sports betting market in the United States. Join us as we reveal the chaos witnessed at the ballot box, what kind of sports wagering is allowed right now, and if California sports betting legalisation might be approved soon.

Currently, sports betting is not legal in California, although there is one exception: horse racing wagering.

So, those asking, ‘Can I legally bet on sports in California?’ when referring to betting on the NFL, NBA, and professional sports leagues, the answer is a firm no, at the moment. Since the US Supreme Court allowed each state to make its own ruling on sports betting in 2018, other states have embraced sports betting apps and brick-and-mortar sportsbook venues, while California has so far resisted.

It’s not without trying, as two major initiatives to legalise sports betting in the Golden State did make it to the 2022 ballot, but both sadly failed. One was backed by the Native American tribes, and the other by the major sports betting platforms, including industry leaders DraftKings and FanDuel.

As a result, it begs the question: Why is sports betting illegal in California? Particularly because it would gain billions of dollars in potential sports betting tax revenues and already has strong public backing.

Nevertheless, to this day, California – like Texas – remains a holdout state.

The debate about whether sports gambling is legal in California reached national headlines when two competing 2022 ballot initiatives were submitted. Proposition 26 and Proposition 27 both aimed to forge a new path towards California sports betting legalisation, but both campaigns ended abruptly in stunning defeats.

Proposition 26 would have granted Californians access to in-person betting at the state’s tribal casinos and racetracks, mirroring the Seminole tribe’s operations in Florida. In contrast, Proposition 27 — which was backed by the state’s leading big tech firms and betting companies — proposed online sports betting instead.

However, despite sharing a comparatively similar aim, the Tribes argued that Prop 27 would take away their sovereignty as well as their economic lifeline. Meanwhile, the tech companies campaigned on the benefits of online betting, which they claim will provide additional resources to help homelessness and mental health funding.

The fallout was that voters were bombarded with countless ads from both sides, which sports betting advocates argue resulted in confusion, frustration, and eventually a ‘no’ vote on both measures.

Within California state borders, the betting options available to residents are somewhat limited.

Even those who want to know if online sports betting is legal in California will receive the same answer: outside of horse racing, it remains illegal to place online bets on sports like the NFL, NHL, or MLS.

Consequently, the only place where to bet on sports in California is either by attending a horse track meet or wagering online through Californian-approved licenced platforms dedicated to horse racing.

This is in spite of California’s remarkable quota of championship-winning franchises, which includes:

California’s rich sporting culture has at least one team competing for a championship almost every year. For fans who don’t want to miss out on the action, offshore betting sites offer an alternative avenue to stay in the game. 

The gambling laws in California are largely governed by the California Gambling Control Commission and the tribal gaming compacts, which have been pivotal in limiting Californian sports betting so far.

One of the biggest hurdles to legalising sports betting in California is that any change must involve the state’s Native American tribes, who operate many of the existing casinos. The failure of the 2022 ballot initiatives exposed how easily the promise of economic gain can clash with the cultural rights and concerns of the Native American tribes. These include their concerns about the loss of tribal sovereignty, online data privacy, and problem gambling.

If sports betting were to be legalised in California, future proposals must effectively balance the rights of the tribes involved, voter concerns, and the financial allocation of its taxable proceeds.

So, while there is no current regulatory framework in place, the foundation for its approval remains a case of waiting for the right deal to emerge.

That being said, should an agreement be reached, Californian residents could soon be considering how to bet on sports online in California legally, particularly moneyline bets, the next time their favourite teams vie for a championship title.

The question that remains on the lips of wagering enthusiasts across the Golden State is, when will sports betting be legal in California?

Despite California being deemed a progressive state, it finds itself trying to cater to widely opposing factions when it comes to sports betting legislation. Nonetheless, California’s hesitance to move forward on the issue collectively means that while other states are cashing in, California continues to miss out.

Regardless, it isn’t all bad news. Head honchos of online sportsbooks DraftKings and FanDuel have engaged in dialogue with California tribal leaders in an effort to heal the rift caused by the bruising 2022 campaign. As momentum for change is certainly growing, the challenge remains of making it legal, but in a way that works for all relevant stakeholders. Should a breakthrough be achieved, it could be on the ballot as early as 2026.