Sports Betting California 2023: Everything You Need To Know

Sports betting in California is finally on the cards and is expected to be FULLY legal by the end of the year but wasn’t legalized yet.

Like you, I’m pretty damn excited. I’m a frequent sports bettor in the U.S. who’s been championing the legalization of sports betting in our great country for years. With sports betting expected to be legalized in California by November 2020 at the latest, I’ve been busy road-testing the best sportsbooks in preparation for what’s to come.

In this article, I’m going to look at the 5 top sportsbooks that are expected to hit California this year. I’ll also be discussing what California sports betting’s future looks like, what casinos you can currently bet at, and I’ll answer your most popular questions about California sports betting. 

Top California offers

Here is a list of betting site that offers the best DFS and horse racing experience:

How Online Sports Betting Works In California

Sports Betting Launch In California

Betting in California isn’t legal just yet – but it’s coming. 

Almost half of America has legalized sports betting, which paves the way for California – arguably one of the country’s biggest sports markets – to do the same.

As of the time of writing, sports betting is well and truly on the November 2020 ballot, after the California tribes managed to get enough signatures to validate their petition. As such, I fully expect sports betting in California to launch by the end of 2020. 

How To Bet On Sports: A Step-by-Step Guide

Betting on sports is super simple. 

The first thing you need to do is pick a sportsbook that meets your needs. I’ve listed the top 5 California sportsbooks in the above section, with Bovada being my top pick. 

Then, just create an account and make your first deposit. 

The next step is to take a look at the sporting events that are currently offered by the sportsbook. If something catches your eye, take a closer look at the bets that are offered. Then, take a closer look at these bets – who do you think will win? What are the odds like? Is there value to be had? 

Then, decide what type of bet you want to have. I’ll be covering the types of bets a little later in this article.

Once you’re satisfied with your bet and the odds, you just need to decide your stake – and place the bet. If your bet is a winner, your winnings will be automatically credited to your account. You don’t need to do anything else!

Which California Casinos Have Sportsbooks? 

Once legalized sports betting is up and running in California, I fully expect the following casinos to open up their sportsbooks in the Golden State:

DraftKings 

DraftKings is currently available as a casino and sportsbook in New Jersey and other legalized sports betting states. It also provides daily fantasy action and is a clear contender to open a sportsbook branch in California soon. 

If you love variety when it comes to sporting activities and table games, DraftKings is a solid option. 

FanDuel 

Another online casino and daily fantasy site, FanDuel will be chomping at the bit to open up its sportsbook in California once it is green. If you love huge bonuses and daily fantasy sports, FanDuel is a good alternative to DraftKings. 

William Hill 

William Hill is a UK-based casino and sportsbook that will be very interested in the California sports gambling market. With years of experience and a huge amount of sports coverage and betting options, William Hill is ideal if you’re into European sports. 

California Sports Betting Partnerships 

As soon as sports betting is legalized in California, a sportsbook will need to partner up with a licensed operator in the state to take your bets.

As soon as sports betting in California is legal, and the partnerships are announced, I will update this section.

What Can You Bet On Right Now In California? 

Because online betting for sports isn’t yet legal in California, you can’t bet on any sports at the moment. However, Las Vegas is just a short drive away, and you can bet on legal sports. 

Once sports wagering is underway in California, here are the legal sports you’ll be able to bet on: 

• NFL
• NBA
• NHL 
• MLB
• Soccer 
• Motorsports 
• Boxing 
• College football
• Cycling 
• Darts
• Cricket
• Golf 
• Hockey 
• MMA 
• Rugby 
• Tennis
• Table tennis
• Volleyball 

What Bets Are Available At California Sportsbooks?

Once sports betting is finally legal in California, there are a number of different bets you’ll be able to place. 

Here are the most popular types of bets:

• Straight bet

– This is when you bet on either the favorite or the underdog to win a sporting event. It’s a very common bet, but it involves a point spread. The favorite is always listed with a minus symbol (-), and the underdog has a plus symbol (+). If you back the favorite, they need to win by the point spread as offered by the sports betting site.

• Money line bet

– This is the same as the straight bet, except there’s no point spread. Instead, whoever you bet on – the favorite or the underdog – just has to win the sporting event outright. 

• Parlay bet

– For this one, you can group together 2 or more picks into the same bet. For example, you might pick the Chiefs, the Packers, and the Bills all to win their games tonight. If one of them loses, you lose the whole bet. Each time you add another pick to the bet, the odds are adjusted. The beauty of this type of bet is that you’ll stand to win a lot of cash if all your picks win. 

• Total line bet

– With the total line bet, the sportsbook will set a number for the combined final score of a particular match. For example, let’s say the Lakers are playing the Raptors. The sportsbook decides the two teams will have a combined score of 205. It’s up to you to decide whether the true outcome will be higher or lower than that number

Taking Advantages of Bonuses and Rewards

One of the best things about sports betting is the bonuses and rewards that come your way. Bovada is currently running some excellent promos, but all the best sites offer some types of bonuses.

Here are the bonuses you need to look out for:

• Welcome bonus

– Whenever you sign up to a new sports betting site, you’ll be offered a welcome bonus. This varies in size from site to site. For example, BetOnline is currently offering a 50% match deposit welcome bonus when you make your first deposit. If you deposit $200, you will get an extra $100 to play around with. 

• Usually, you need to make a first deposit in order to trigger the bonus, but some sites treat you to a no welcome deposit bonus. This means all you need to do is create an account and the bonus is yours 
• Reload bonus

– This bonus rewards you each time you make a subsequent deposit. 

• Bonus on losses

– Sometimes, a sportsbook will refund part of your losses on specific sporting events. 

• Loyalty bonuses

– The best sports betting sites, such as Bovada, run VIP programs that reward you with perks such as free bets. The more you play, the more you’ll be rewarded.

California Sports Betting Laws

California is a pretty complex state that’s currently protesting the interests of its Tribal Casinos, which means that online sports betting is illegal as of the time of writing. 

However, it isn’t hard to find something to gamble on in California as the Golden State is home to 50 of those aforementioned Tribal Casinos, as well as a hundred card rooms.

Conclusion

Sports betting California is going to be a lot of fun. The next step is to see what happens in November at the ballot. If it’s legalized, you’ll just need to pick a sportsbook, such as Bovada, and get betting!

In the meantime, there’s nothing stopping you visiting a nearby state where sports gambling is legal, and placing a bet there.