Top California Sportsbooks: A Complete Guide to Betting in the Golden State

The political and legal landscape of California sportsbooks continued to be a challenging battleground throughout 2024. This year was defined by a mix of unexpected scandals that slowed public support, combined with crucial long-term political endorsements and strategic plans for the future.

2024 Opens with Financial Pullback and the Damaging Ohtani Scandal

The year 2024 began with major setbacks for the efforts to legalize best online sports betting California. Early on, the “Sports Betting Alliance” (SBA), a powerful group that funds gambling legislation in other states, withheld financial support for the two existing California initiatives on January 7th.

More bad news quickly followed this financial pullback. When public opinion is sensitive about expanded gambling, scandals have an outsized negative impact. It’s easy for supporters to argue, “This is working great in other states, why can’t we have what betting apps are legal in California?” but a high-profile scandal causes supporters to retreat.

Such a damaging story broke on April 20th of 2024, involving baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani. His interpreter had stolen $4.5 million from the great player, specifically to pay off existing gambling debts.

These kinds of stories, while not the fault of the legalization movement itself, are highly detrimental.

Sports fans who might have otherwise been open to seeing legal betting apps in California can see an event like this and immediately back away. This negative public sentiment cast a significant pall on the entire year, slowing the momentum of moving gambling legislation forward in the Golden State.

New Timelines, Political Allies, and External Factors

Despite the scandal, not all hope was lost. Less than a month after the shocking Ohtani story, there was a major development in the path forward. The Chairman of the Indian Gaming Association went on record to give a definitive timeline:

• 2026 Ballot: He stated his belief that retail sports betting will be on the California ballot.
• 2028 Ballot: If the retail measure wins, mobile sports betting would then follow on the 2028 ballot.

These were incredibly bold words to declare in a state where momentum seemed to be against the movement, especially since so many other states have already legalized both types of wagering.

Outside factors also began to influence the conversation regarding the viability of sports betting in Los Angeles and the rest of California. For instance, while you currently have the option to use offshore platforms, a new physical option is on the horizon:

Vegas Rail: On June 30th, 2024, construction began on a high-speed rail network linking Vegas and LA. While not as convenient as using a mobile app, this ambitious project, hoping to finish by 2028, provides a quick new option for Californians to travel to a legal betting hub.

The movement gained a powerful political ally on August 28th when Governor Gavin Newsom endorsed new gaming compacts. This action softened some of the stances he had taken in the past, surprising many in the legalization movement and showing how quickly the political landscape can shift in favor of California sportsbooks.

The final word of the year was one of skepticism, however. In November and December, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie claimed that California was far from legalizing sports betting, stating that the state was even behind Texas in its readiness.

Generous Welcome Offers for California Bettors

Yes, these sites are overseas, but they have plenty of what California bettors want. For example: little has proven to be as popular as promotions. Yes, there are plenty of great bets available, but the promos, the bonuses, those are what separate these sportsbooks.

For example, bonuses can include “first bet safety nets” and the like. With those, a player’s wager is matched (up to a given amount) should that first bet lose.

By that same token, another popular bonus is the “deposit match.” The more money you put into your account initially at the California sportsbook, the more that could be matched by the company (up to a certain amount).

Ongoing Promotions and Loyalty Rewards

Parlays are a great bonus, a fantastic way to make a lot of money. However, they can also be pretty challenging to hit, too. As a result of that, some of the most popular promos are “parlay refunds/parlay insurance”.

With this, if one aspect of the parlay doesn’t quite hit, then you get your stake back (often in the form of a bonus bet). Sure, it’s not as great as hitting the parlay, but it’s not nothing.

Boosted odds is another popular promo. If you have a bet you really feel strongly about, you can boost the odds to get more value for a winning bet.

Many of these offshore sportsbooks have been around for a long time. As such, they have devoted fan bases. If you can refer a friend to this site, then you could get a bonus just for doing that.

Many Californians bet on their favorite teams and their favorite sports with offshore sportsbooks. These can include:

America’s true passtime, there’s nothing like football. The NFL, NCAA – three pro teams and countless big college football teams make California a football state.

162 games a year and more – that’s how many baseball betting opportunities there are. California has some of the most iconic baseball teams around, too.

Seemingly every year, a California team is a threat to win the NBA title. The same goes for a team from the west to win March Madness.

There’s three NHL teams in California, and only one hasn’t won a Cup yet (although they have won the Western Conference). California is a hockey state, now, too.

California has always had some of the best teams in pro sports. Indeed, when most California sports bettors bet, it’s on these teams

The first team to win five Super Bowl championships. Montana. Rice. Lott. Young. The legendary names of this incredible franchise are imprinted into not just the lore of the NFL, but the world.

There are few teams more recognizable than the 49ers. With a global fanbase, they’re seemingly always a threat to raise the Lombardi Trophy yet again.

Under Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers have been an interesting kind of “boom or bust” team. They go on a deep playoff run as often, seemingly, as they miss the playoffs and get a high draft pick. The 49ers are a tough out no matter who plays them when.

A few years ago, the Rams came home. Then, they became the first team to win the Super Bowl in their home stadium. With maybe the greatest defensive player of all time in Aaron Donald stepping down, the Rams aren’t really in a “rebuilding” mode. Rather, they’re reloading.

Seemingly, just about every year, the Rams are written off. Then, they find a way to not just get into the playoffs, but to do some damage there. (For more, ask the Minnesota Vikings.) The Rams look, yet again, to be a tough team to beat.

A franchise quarterback. A franchise tackle. Strong running game and a great coach – the Chargers have everything they need to be a real competitor in one of the NFL’s toughest divisions. The Chargers have, for many years now, had a kind of “little brother” energy to them, when compared to the Rams. That all may very well change in the near days to come.

There are many sports teams in California that are successful. Indeed, there are also California sports teams that are set up to be successful both now and in the future. However, there are no sports teams that are as ready to dominate now and in the future as the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In this guide, you’ve most likely seen multiple uses of the phrase “as of this writing.” Why? Because everything in sports is subject to change.

Teams win, they lose, they build a roster, they win again, so on and so forth.

However, with the Dodgers, they could be good for a very long time to come. Why is that? Well… because of just about everything.

The Dodgers’ Path to Sustained Success

The Dodgers draft well. They develop talent well. And, if they don’t, they have all the resources necessary to pay for the very best free agents time and again.

Even if they couldn’t give a player the absolute best possible contract (and they certainly can), they could offer that player the opportunity to win, to play with what can be, more or less, an all-star team. That’s just how good this roster is.

Now, that’s not to say that the Dodgers go 162-0 through the regular season (although, if they do that, be sure to get that bet down at one of these sites). But, whenever a season starts, they have to be a strong favorite to go on a run if not be the eventual winner. There are very few games they play in (much less series) where they won’t be the favorite.

Golden State Warriors: The Gold Standard

Much of what was written above about the Los Angeles Dodgers can be written about the Golden State Warriors.

All-time player on the team? Check.

A history of championships? Check.

However, the difference is that the Warriors’ championship core is aging out. Basketball’s roster construction is, in so many ways, entirely different from that of baseball (and not just because of the luxury tax/max contracts, etc.)

The Warriors of this time are still good, yes, but they aren’t the dominant dynasty that they were just a few years ago. Parity has, in many ways, come to the NBA in a way that it didn’t just a few years ago. The Warriors aren’t seen as an overwhelming favorite to go on a run during the playoffs, to add one more banner to an arena that sure has had plenty of them in the last few years.

That all having been said, it’s hard to ever bet against Curry. One of the NBA’s greatest players of all time, he (and the rest of the Warriors) may not be what they were a few years ago, but they still have absolutely everything they need to win on a given night.

Little was expected of the Kings in the last season. However, there were big surprises in the NBA season – and then there were the Kings. Breaking one of the longest streaks in all of professional sports, the Kings made the playoffs for the first time in almost two decades. The league’s highest-scoring team, they’re looking to build on that in the year (and years) to come.

It used to be that there was only one real NBA team in LA. Those days are long gone. The Clippers are here to stay, a genuinely good team that’s a playoff threat just about every year. While they’ve gone a long way towards shedding their “perennial loser” image, the Clippers haven’t quite gotten over the hump yet as a team that can win a championship.

They fell in the first round of the playoffs to the Denver Nuggets. No shame in that, of course, as the Nuggets are still a real contender themselves. Kawhi and Harden are still quality players, and there’s something of a young core to build around. The Clippers are one of those teams that, if they do get a lot going their way, they could be a contender.

San Francisco Giants: Even a Threat Every Year

The Giants aren’t the dynastic franchise they were just a few years ago. But, they haven’t fallen off much yet, either.

Again, in the NL West, it would be very easy to slip behind not just the Dodgers but also the Padres and even the Diamondbacks. However, the Giants always do well enough at evaluating and developing talent that they can’t be written off.

As of this writing, they’re treading water in the NL West, a few games over 500. That doesn’t mean, of course, that they’re going to pull it off this year. But, it does mean that they could get hot and start to get stronger as the season progresses. They’ve got bats. Wilmer Flores can do the work and Ramos is a hit machine.

As far as the pitching goes, Webb and Ray carry the load, with Ray probably deserving a bit better than he’s gotten. The future may not be too bright, but it could be darker.

Just a few years ago (around the time that California was starting to take seriously the idea of online sports betting), there was a national narrative about the “poor Padres.” The idea was that this team, in the same loaded NL West as the Dodgers, Giants, and even the Arizona Diamondbacks would never be able to compete, that the Padres were simply a western version of the Colorado Rockies. However, that never came close to happening.

The Padres may be the last sports team, (unfortunately), left in San Diego. But, they are a real contender, a team that absolutely could be the team to bring in San Diego’s first professional sports championship. That’s not to say that they’re a favorite. But, they’re a team that’s in as good a position as any to knock off the mighty Dodgers. That has to count for something.

There’s something about divisional matchups. It’s one thing to play a very good team a few times a year (as contenders from the NL East and Central will do with the best teams from the West) and a team that sees them more than ten times a year.

That’s just one of the ways that the Padres were able to get past the Dodgers a few years ago. They could absolutely do it again.

The Padres have stable ownership, a core of young players, plenty of resources, and much more.

This is a team to keep an eye on. When the MLB futures come out, if you have a good feeling about the Friars here, then you very well may have a way to make some real money.

Rebuilds in hockey are supposed to take a long time. If you look around hockey, there are great teams that won multiple champions, then were contenders for a while, and finally fell into the bottom of the standings.

There, the team faced challenging questions about whether to try and rebuild around the (now aging) superstars, whether to sell them off for parts, and how to rebuild things. That’s how hockey rebuilds go. But not for the LA Kings. They were able to build a contender in a hurry.

Moreover, they were able to rebuild without having to sacrifice living legend Anze Kopitar. The Kings are, once again, a Stanley Cup contender. They are a team that, when the NHL futures are released, are very much a team that bettors may consider to be a real threat. Now, with that being said, there are some caveats.

The Stacked Western Challenge

Case in point: the Western Conference is just stacked right now. Sure, Edmonton is as good a team as the league has, yes, but Dallas is a true contender, Winnipeg is seemingly waiting in the wings, the Golden Knights have yet to ever be “bad” in their short existence, and so forth. There are good teams in the West.

Yet, even with that in mind, the Kings have a chance to go through all of them. That’s how successfully this rebuild has gone, how ready this team is to compete right away. They may not be a favorite, but, when you look at the NHL schedule, there are some teams that, if a bunch of factors go their way, they very well could be in the mix for Lord Stanley’s Cup. That’s the Kings of this current era.

We could write just about everything we wrote above about the Kings about the San Jose Sharks hockey team, minus the championships. In the not long ago past, the Sharks were a real contender, winning the Western Conference and losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final. But, when the Sharks best players fell off, their rebuild went like many do: everything fell apart.

Just a few years removed from winning the West, the Sharks became one of the worst teams in the league. However, in the NHL, unlike other leagues, that really can help.

How? By helping you to get a superstar.

The NHL has lots of great players. There are many franchise players in each and every city. Parity truly has come to the league. However, the Sharks have something that just about no other team has: a real bonafide superstar, a player that the entire team could be built around. That’s Macklin Celebrini.

The Trajectory of a Number One Pick

An easy 1-1 pick, he’s not only one of the best players in the league at a young age, but he grew up a fan of the team. This is the kind of thing that dreams are made of here. No, this doesn’t mean that you should bet the Sharks to win the cup, nor does it mean that they’re going to be a contender any time soon.

But, what it does mean is that, at some point in the next few years, the Sharks very well are positioned to make a jump.

All the other teams that got a great franchise player at 1-1 did so (the Penguins, the Avs, the Oilers, and many others). The Sharks, at some point not all that long from now, could be in a similar position.

The Ducks are coming back. Yes, they’ve been down for a while. They were a great team, one that almost went to the Final back in 2017. But, since then, they’ve struggled, missing the playoffs many times. They’ve got players that you can build around, such as Terry, McTavish, and Zegras. And, this year, it started to come together more.

Yes, they finished in 6th and yes, they’re in a tough division. But, they did come in at just under 500. That means that this team has been growing, with a real chance to improve.

They would still be a long shot to make the playoffs, sure. But, the days when they aren’t are sooner to come than it might seem at this time.

Sure, those are popular California professional sports teams. That said, there are plenty of other great bets that these sites offer, too.

For example, just about all of them offer a facebook. With that, you can bet on horse racing. Moreover you can bet on horse racing not just in California but in other locations, too.

As far as new competitions to bet on, eSports has become more and more popular. These offshore sites make that possible.

Beyond that, you can bet on elections, MMA, and so many other sports, too. No, American sportsbooks can’t offer these bets, but offshore sites can.

You can legally bet on fantasy sports in California right now. Yes, they exist in a grey area, but they’ve never been specified by name as prohibited. Indeed, FanDuel, DraftKings, and the like run these games.

If there’s something that you want to bet on, an offshore sportsbook in California can make it possible.

Win more money for the same bets. Sounds good? That’s what bonuses promise. We ranked these sites based on which bonuses were most popular for those in California.

The more bets, the better. That doesn’t just mean being able to bet on all of the sports you want (although that is important), it also means being able to bet on those sports in your preferred method, too.

This page, in a way, serves as our review of these sites. However, there are plenty of other reviews online. Now, some of those reviews you want to take with, at best, a grain of salt, so to speak. But, we looked at the reviews from sources we trusted and couldn’t help but include those in our decision making process.

How easy is a site to use? How simple is it to use the site? Is the site challenging to navigate? If it was hard to walk into a casino, you wouldn’t go there. The same goes with UX. We included it high in our ranking factors.

If a bookie didn’t pay out when you won, well, the odds are good that you wouldn’t go back to that bookie, right? The same holds true here, too. We ranked these sites on who pays out and when. Additionally, we took into account how easy it was to make a deposit and what kinds of currencies you could make that deposit in.

When you’re dealing with an offshore sportsbook, having a real, live person you can ask questions to is invaluable. It’s not like you can drive from your California home across the ocean to ask questions in person. These sites that we mention below have 24/7/365 customer support that actually can support customers.

Never bet more than you can afford to lose. But, don’t just get locked into one site, either. Be sure to check out the sites we’ve mentioned and find the ones that are best for you. Why?

Sure, you can go by our reviews, but, these sites may change and add more bets. Before you get locked into one or another, be sure to find the best bets for your specific needs. These, quite literally, change all of the time. Pitting one sportsbook against another is a fantastic way to find your best bets.

The same goes for finding bonuses, too. Different sites not only offer different bonuses, different offshore California sports betting sites offer different bonuses at different times. Maybe one site has a great Super Bowl bonus but another’s is fantastic for March Madness, or vice versa. The more research you do, the more, quite literally, you could win.

Something that it’s really easy to lose track of when you’re in California: many of these sites have different oddsmakers. As such, they have different odds. When the biggest games come around (or even the day to day ones), finding the best odds that you want to bet really can be a question of going to one site or another.

The most popular bet is probably the Moneyline. With this, you bet on who’s going to win. That’s it. Typically, these bets are seen as something like +220 or -120. The team with the “minus” sign in front of their number is the favorite. The one with the “plus” sign is the underdog.

Moneyline odds display how much you would get if you were to bet $100 and win. So, if you bet $100 on the team at +220, you would get $220 for your bet. Consequently, you would have to bet $120 on the team at -120 to win $100 for your bet.

Also referred to as “totals,” you’re betting on how much something will happen. Typically, this is the “total score,” the combined score of the two teams. You’re betting if the number will be higher or lower.

Two teams/competitors are rarely even. One is typically better than the other. Point spreads, a form of handicapping, make for interesting bets. A team that’s’ -3 is favored by three over another team and, if you were to bet them you would “give” the points. That means that team would have to win by more than three for you to win.

Consequently, a team at +3 would “take the points.” Thus, if you were to bet on them, if they lost by less than three or won outright, you would win the bet.

These bets aren’t concerned with the final outcome of the game. Instead of betting on the score, you’re betting on how many points a player will score, how many steals, individual statistics, and so forth. You could also bet on how many points a team will score in a given period/half/etc. Many of the sites we’ve mentioned have a slew of prop bets.

Popular bets, these combine multiple bets into one bet. These can be lucrative indeed, but they can get hard to win. All of the conditions have to come true for you to win the bet. Say that you bet on one player to score a number of points, the other team to score a number, and for the score to be tied at the half – that could be a parlay.

Not all bets are concerned with what happens in just a game. These bets (popular during the offseason, but viable any time) deal with an outcome for a season. If you think that one team is going to win a championshi[p, if a player will win MVP, etc., you’re encouraged to bet these futures as early as possible.

Modern tech makes it possible to bet on a game even after it has started. No longer do the bets stop when the game starts – now, you can bet throughout the game. Bet on the next play, the next quarter, and so forth. With live bets, you can win all game long.

This is the site to work with if you want fresh, innovative, and unique ways to bet. They consistently give you more unique ways to wager and win than anyone else in the industry, which is why MyBookie stands out.

From creative prop bets on major sports to lines on entertainment and politics, this platform offers an experience that is far beyond the conventional. This is truly the clear and exciting future of California sports betting.

The search for a reliable and advantageous betting partner is always a priority. For many players in the region, BetOnline stands out as a premier California sportsbook alternative, particularly because of its dedication to being an industry leader in releasing betting lines.

No one gets the earliest line releases faster than they do, which is a significant strategic benefit. If you are a bettor who knows exactly who you want to support in a game and wants to get their wager down immediately, BetOnline is an essential first stop.

Their commitment to offering competitive odds right out of the gate ensures you have the best chance to secure a great price on your bet before the market moves, giving you a tangible edge over other online platforms.

All modern online betting services offer some form of customer support, but few maintain the level of quality and attentiveness found with the dedicated folks at XBet. This focus on the customer is what truly elevates the platform to a higher caliber of California sports betting experience.

They don’t just offer an email address; they commit to round-the-clock availability with 24/7 access to representatives via live chat and phone. This constant availability ensures that whether you have a complex question about a crypto withdrawal, need clarification on a bonus rollover, or simply can’t locate a line late at night.

A knowledgeable agent is always ready to provide real-time, helpful assistance.

By prioritizing this seamless support and coupling it with a clean, fast mobile interface and quick payout processing, XBet builds a solid foundation on reliability and reputation, allowing bettors to place wagers with confidence and minimal frustration.

Bonuses, bonuses, bonuses – that’s what they’re truly about at BetNow. If you want to get a great bonus when you start, this is the site to come to.

BetNow stands out by offering multiple welcome packages, allowing you to select the deposit match and rollover requirements that suit your betting style, including special options for crypto users. Crucially, they reward loyalty through a Lifetime VIP Reload Bonus Program, giving you a percentage match on every subsequent deposit.

This dedication to continuous value, paired with a rare weekly sportsbook rebate, makes their bonus structure one of the most flexible and beneficial in the industry.

Our number one personal favorite, Everygame, stands out as a true industry veteran. Their remarkable longevity in the online gaming space is no accident; they’ve been around for a long time for an excellent reason.

The sterling reputation you’ve heard about is entirely earned, built on a foundation of reliability, competitive odds, and a wide array of betting options.

When you choose Everygame, you are selecting a platform with decades of trusted operation and proven service, ensuring a top-tier experience every time.

It’s possible that sports betting won’t be legal in California this year, or maybe even until the elections next year. However, it’s important to note that you’ll still be able to bet from California. These offshore sports betting sites can help you to get a bet down about any of your favorite California teams (or any others). Good luck to you in the games, California sports bettor.

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