California
Sports Betting in California
For the gambling enthusiast, California is a ‘mixed bag’. The state has a long history of gambling and like it’s neighbor Nevada dates the existence of casinos back to the early days of statehood. The state is desperate for revenue and there’s been discussion about opening new forms of gambling to better compete with the casinos in Las Vegas. At the same time, there’s a specific ban on ‘ball and dice’ games meaning that craps and roulette are not allowed even at Native American casinos.
The original form of gambling in California was the card room which dates back to the ‘Gold Rush’ era. They’ve even been known at times as ‘California Casinos’ and have had their ebb and flow in popularity over the years. At this point, there are 38 card rooms in the state of California with the largest being the Commerce Casino which remains one of the major venues in the US for high stakes poker.
Horse racing has always been synonymous with California and although the industry in the state has taken a few hits in recent years with the closing of Hollywood Park it remains fairly popular. Del Mar and Santa Anita are the marquee horse racing properties though there are smaller venues as well as plenty of off-track wagering opportunities. Internet wagering on horses was legalized in 2010 and has become a popular alternative to spending a day at the track.
California established a state lottery in 1984 and today it is one of the largest in the country. It offers a number of in-state draw games along with scratch-cards and the big multi-state networked jackpots like PowerBall and MegaMillions. Whenever these jackpots reach record levels it prompts the ironic site of Nevada residents streaming over the border to purchase lottery tickets as the ‘Silver State’ has no state lottery itself.
Much of the growth in California gambling has been due to the expansion of tribal gaming within the state. This happened much as it did in other states—after the Federal government expanded the gaming sovereignty rights of Native American tribes the state began to negotiate compacts with the individual groups. The result has been dozens of tribal casinos dotting the state offering a variety of slots and table games (though no craps or roulette given the aforementioned ban on ‘ball and dice’ games).
There is a good deal of hope for even more gambling offerings in the future. Legislation to allow the state’s horse tracks to offer sports betting is working its way through California’s labyrinthine political process and there are other plans in the works. On the plus side—California might be more desperate for new revenue sources than any state in the country which makes them extremely amiable to the expansion of gambling. On the other side—the Native American tribes have been the ‘power brokers’ of gambling for decades and aren’t anxious to give up any of their influence. Any type of expanded gambling would have to be done in a method that placates them and serves their interests.
Sports Betting in Fresno
Fresno, California is almost equidistant between San Francisco and Los Angeles—approximately a three hour drive to either. In a strange way, however, they’ve got it almost as good as their Southern California neighbors. They definitely have it better than the folks in the Bay Area for a number of reasons.
The original form of gambling in California was the card room which dates back to the ‘Gold Rush’ era. They’ve even been known at times as ‘California Casinos’ and have had their ebb and flow in popularity over the years. At this point, there are 38 card rooms in the state of California with the largest being the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles which remains one of the major venues in the US for high stakes poker. Fresno has several card rooms in the area with the 500 Club Casino in Clovis arguably the most significant. The Club One Casino in Fresno has the distinction of being California’s first off site satellite wagering facility in addition to the usual array of card room games.
Much of the growth in California gambling has been due to the expansion of tribal gaming within the state. This happened much as it did in other states—after the Federal government expanded the gaming sovereignty rights of Native American tribes the state began to negotiate compacts with the individual groups. The result has been dozens of tribal casinos dotting the state offering a variety of slots and table games (though no craps or roulette given the aforementioned ban on ‘ball and dice’ games). Fresno has it pretty good in this area as many of the Native American properties targeting the Southern California market are located between Bakersfield and Sacramento. Fresno is right in the middle and has abundant casino gambling options.
Most gambling industry observers expect to see sports betting added to the California gaming menu within the next year. There are already several proposals winding their way through the state’s complex legislative process. The primary obstacle is the usual dysfunctional political climate of the Golden State. Another issue—the Native American tribes in the state have become a formidable lobbying block and reflexively oppose any new forms of gambling that might compete with their casinos. It’s very likely that they’ll have to be involved in any sports betting framework for California—not necessarily a bad thing for players as it provides more independent ‘outs’.
Sports Betting in Long Beach
Just a half hour South of Los Angeles, Long Beach has had a very interesting and eclectic history. It’s gone from a quiet residential area to a beach resort to a manufacturing and industrial center to an aviation hub and back again. It has the dubious history of being one of the communities directly targeted by anti-Japanese racism during World War II. It had a large Japanese-American population at one point, almost entirely sent to prison camps inland in 1942. Not surprisingly, most didn’t return after the war and today Japanese-Americans make up less than one percent of Long Beach’s population. The massive McDonald Douglas Aircraft plant was in Long Beach making commercial aviation mainstays the DC-8 and DC-9. Long Beach—aka the ‘LBC’ is also known for famous natives like rapper Snoop Dogg and the rock band Sublime.
California has a decent variety of gambling options but it is decidedly a ‘mixed bag’. The state has a long history of gambling and has a history of casinos existing before officially gaining statehood. Given the state’s desperation for revenues, there’s always talk of a new form of gambling or another though not much has transpired of late. Sports betting could be added in the near future and there are currently several bills in the works for the California Assembly as well as a call for a state referendum. There’s also been talk about opening new forms of gambling to better compete with the casinos in Las Vegas. At the same time, there’s a specific ban on ‘ball and dice’ games meaning that craps and roulette are not allowed even at Native American casinos. From a gambling standpoint, Long Beach has pretty much the same options as Los Angeles.
The original form of gambling in California was the card room which dates back to the ‘Gold Rush’ era. These card rooms—which are often called ‘California Casinos’–have had ups and downs in popularity though there are still 32 in existence statewide. There are a half dozen major ones in the Los Angeles area including longstanding properties like the Bicycle Casino, the Commerce Casino and The Gardens which was known for years as ‘Bell Gardens’. Joining them are a few newcomers including the Casino at Hollywood Park, Larry Flynt’s Hustler Casino and Larry Flynt’s Lucky Lady Casino. These six properties are doing reasonably well despite the competition from other jurisdictions and online poker. The Gardens is actually closer to Long Beach than to Los Angeles—just 19 minutes away via I-405 South.
Horse racing has always been synonymous with Southern California and though the region took a big hit with the closing of Hollywood Park a few years ago. Del Mar and Santa Anita are the marquee horse racing properties in Southern California and rank among the top facilities in the sport. Internet wagering on horses was legalized in 2010 and has become a popular alternative to spending a day at the track. Long Beach is just 20 minutes West of Los Alamitos Racetrack which hosts both quarterhorse and thoroughbred meets as well as a year round simulcasting facility.
And has been the case since the early days of the city, Las Vegas remains a popular gambling destination for Los Angeles residents. ‘Sin City’ is a four hour drive up I-15 North though if the traffic is bad on a holiday weekend it can be double that. There’s plenty of bus routes between the cities though a better option could be Amtrak which will take you up and back for less than $100. An even better option is flying—a round trip ticket will cost less than $150 for a flight that is right around an hour each way. There are even good flights out of Long Beach Airport (LGB) with Jet Blue offering a daily nonstop for as low as $96 midweek.
Sports Betting in Los Angeles
California has a decent variety of gambling options but it is decidedly a ‘mixed bag’. The state has a long history of gambling and has a history of casinos existing before officially gaining statehood. Given the state’s desperation for revenues, there’s always talk of a new form of gambling or another though not much has transpired of late. Sports betting could be added in the near future and there are currently several bills in the works for the California Assembly as well as a call for a state referendum. There’s also been talk about opening new forms of gambling to better compete with the casinos in Las Vegas. At the same time, there’s a specific ban on ‘ball and dice’ games meaning that craps and roulette are not allowed even at Native American casinos.
The original form of gambling in California was the card room which dates back to the ‘Gold Rush’ era. These card rooms—which are often called ‘California Casinos’–have had ups and downs in popularity though there are still 32 in existence statewide. There are a half dozen major ones in the Los Angeles area including longstanding properties like the Bicycle Casino, the Commerce Casino and The Gardens which was known for years as ‘Bell Gardens’. Joining them are a few newcomers including the Casino at Hollywood Park, Larry Flynt’s Hustler Casino and Larry Flynt’s Lucky Lady Casino. These six properties are doing reasonably well despite the competition from other jurisdictions and online poker.
Horse racing has always been synonymous with Southern California and though the region took a big hit with the closing of Hollywood Park a few years ago. Del Mar and Santa Anita are the marquee horse racing properties in Southern California and rank among the top facilities in the sport. Internet wagering on horses was legalized in 2010 and has become a popular alternative to spending a day at the track.
California established a state lottery in 1984 and today it is one of the biggest in the country. It offers a number of in-state draw games along with scratch-cards and the big multi-state networked jackpots like PowerBall and MegaMillions. These games are extremely popular in Los Angeles and when the PowerBall jackpots get up to record highs there’s long lines of Nevada residents crossing the border to buy tickets near the stateline at Primm.
And has been the case since the early days of the city, Las Vegas remains a popular gambling destination for Los Angeles residents. ‘Sin City’ is a 5 hour drive up I-15 though if the traffic is bad on a holiday weekend it can be double that. There’s plenty of bus routes between the cities though a better option could be Amtrak which will take you up and back for less than $100. An even better option is flying—a round trip ticket will cost less than $150 for a flight that is right around an hour each way.
Sports Betting in Oakland
Oakland has a reputation for being the downscale neighbor of San Francisco. It is most notable for the Raiders football team (who spent 15 years in Los Angeles in the 1980s and 1990s and are en route to Las Vegas at last check). They’re also (in)famous as the birthplace of the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club. They’re just 20 minutes from San Francisco, however, and that means that their gambling options are essentially identical to their neighbors across the bay.
For the gambling enthusiast, California is a ‘mixed bag’. The state is desperate for revenue and there’s been discussion about opening new forms of gambling to better compete with the casinos in Las Vegas. At the same time, there’s a specific ban on ‘ball and dice’ games meaning that craps and roulette are not allowed even at Native American casinos. For the Northern California gambling enthusiast that limits his options and the reality is that the region doesn’t have it as good overall as does Southern California.
The original form of gambling in California was the card room which dates back to the ‘Gold Rush’ era. They’ve even been known at times as ‘California Casinos’ and have had their ebb and flow in popularity over the years. At this point, there are 38 card rooms in the state of California with the largest being the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles which remains one of the major venues in the US for high stakes poker. Northern California has a decent number of card rooms though most are significantly smaller than their Los Angeles area counterparts. There are four card rooms in Alameda County and inside the Oakland Metro Area.
Horse racing has always been synonymous with California and although the industry in the state has taken a few hits in recent years with the closing of Hollywood Park it remains fairly popular. Once again, Southern California has it better. Del Mar and Santa Anita are the marquee horse racing properties while live racing in Northern California is limited to Golden Gate Fields which runs thoroughbreds on its synthetic Tapeta surface. Looking back in history a bit, there was a harness racing track called the Oakland Trotting Park in existence between 1871 and 1896. From 1896 to 1909, it hosted thoroughbred racing and was known as the Oakland Race Track after an ambitious remodeling that included ‘exotic architecture’ and upgraded facilities.
Much of the growth in California gambling has been due to the expansion of tribal gaming within the state. This happened much as it did in other states—after the Federal government expanded the gaming sovereignty rights of Native American tribes the state began to negotiate compacts with the individual groups. The result has been dozens of tribal casinos dotting the state offering a variety of slots and table games (though no craps or roulette given the aforementioned ban on ‘ball and dice’ games). There is an extensive Native American gaming presence in Northern California but on balance are smaller and more low key than their SoCal counterparts. Another option for Oakland area casino gaming enthusiasts is making the three hour drive to the Reno/Lake Tahoe area in Nevada.
There is a good deal of hope for even more gambling offerings in the future. Legislation to allow the state’s horse tracks to offer sports betting is working its way through California’s labyrinthine political process and there are other plans in the works. On the plus side—California might be more desperate for new revenue sources than any state in the country which makes them extremely amiable to the expansion of gambling. On the other side—the Native American tribes have been the ‘power brokers’ of gambling for decades and aren’t anxious to give up any of their influence. Any type of expanded gambling would have to be done in a method that placates them and serves their interests.
Sports Betting in Sacramento
Sacramento is the state capital of California but otherwise has something of an identity crisis. They’re six hours away from Los Angeles so they’re definitely not part of Southern California. At the same time, however, they’re not really part of the Northern California/Bay Area/Silicon Valley nexus despite just being 90 minutes from San Francisco. In a strange way, however, they have it better in terms of casino gambling than any city in Northern California.
The original form of gambling in California was the card room which dates back to the ‘Gold Rush’ era. They’ve even been known at times as ‘California Casinos’ and have had their ebb and flow in popularity over the years. At this point, there are 38 card rooms in the state of California with the largest being the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles which remains one of the major venues in the US for high stakes poker. Sacramento County has right around a dozen card rooms though none are particularly large. Whether this is a ‘feature or a bug’ depends on the gambler’s individual preferences.
Much of the growth in California gambling has been due to the expansion of tribal gaming within the state. This happened much as it did in other states—after the Federal government expanded the gaming sovereignty rights of Native American tribes the state began to negotiate compacts with the individual groups. The result has been dozens of tribal casinos dotting the state offering a variety of slots and table games (though no craps or roulette given the aforementioned ban on ‘ball and dice’ games). Most of the properties that target Southern California gamblers are located between Sacramento and Bakersfield. Sacramento might not have it as good as centrally located Fresno but they definitely have better access to Native American gaming than the two major population bases in California. They’ve also got great proximity to the major gambling destinations in Northern Nevada with Reno, Carson City and the Lake Tahoe area all within a 2.5 hour drive.
Most gambling industry observers expect to see sports betting added to the California gaming menu within the next year. There are already several proposals winding their way through the state’s complex legislative process. The primary obstacle is the usual dysfunctional political climate of the Golden State. Another issue—the Native American tribes in the state have become a formidable lobbying block and reflexively oppose any new forms of gambling that might compete with their casinos. It’s very likely that they’ll have to be involved in any sports betting framework for California—not necessarily a bad thing for players as it provides more independent ‘outs’.
Sports Betting in San Diego
San Diego is a two hour drive down Interstate 5 from Los Angeles and for that reason the city shares many of the same gambling options. Las Vegas remains a popular gambling destination for both Los Angeles and San Diego residents. Nevada’s gaming mecca is actually an easier drive from San Diego than it is from Los Angeles. From San Diego, drivers can get right on I-15 which nicely circumvents the worst of the infamous Los Angeles traffic. Assuming minimal traffic it’s a quicker and shorter drive from L.A. but when does that happen? There’s plenty of bus routes between the cities though a better option could be Amtrak which will take you up and back for less than $100. An even better option is flying—if you do some searching you can get a decent ticket price from San Diego International Airport (SAN) to Las Vegas’ McCarren Airport. If you’re looking for a last minute trip, however, you’ll save $250 or more by flying out of one of the Los Angeles area airports.
The original form of gambling in California was the card room which dates back to the ‘Gold Rush’ era. These card rooms—which are often called ‘California Casinos’–have had ups and downs in popularity though there are still 32 in existence statewide. The rules that facilitated these card rooms are significant, however, since they still govern the games that even the large tribal casinos can offer. The most unusual quirk in California’s gambling law is a specific ban on ‘ball and dice’ games which means that games like craps and roulette are not allowed even at Native American casinos. There’s always talk about opening new forms of gambling to better compete with Nevada casinos but as of now California properties can only offer card games.
One area where San Diego has it better than their larger neighbor to the North is in proximity to Native American casino properties. Los Angeles has a half dozen ‘California Casinos’, mostly overgrown card rooms like the Commerce Casino or The Gardens Casino along with the ‘racino’ at the former site of the Hollywood Park racetrack. Meanwhile, there are over a dozen casinos in the San Diego Metro Area including some large resort properties such as the Harrah’s Resort Southern California (owned by the Rincon Native American tribe) and the eponymously named Pechanga Resort and Casino North of the city (owned by the Pechanga tribe).
San Diego has another intriguing option for casino gambling and sports betting just thirty minutes to the South in Tijuana, Mexico. There are several casinos in the area that market to American gamblers as well as a number of sports betting shops, all run by the Caliente Gaming Corporation. There’s also the former Agua Caliente Racetrack which runs live dog racing and ran live horse racing until 1992. There’s a casino on the Agua Caliente property though the largest and nicest in the area is the casino at the Hotel Pueblo Amigo. Jai alai was played in Tijuana for many years though the fronton is now a concert facility. No live jai alai but you might be able to catch a concert or some Lucha Libre wrestling.
Horse racing has always been synonymous with Southern California and though the region took a big hit with the closing of Hollywood Park a few years ago. Del Mar and Santa Anita are the marquee horse racing properties in Southern California and rank among the top facilities in the sport. Internet wagering on horses was legalized in 2010 and has become a popular alternative to spending a day at the track. Del Mar is the most accessible track for San Diego gamblers and is just an hour drive up the coast.
Sports Betting in San Francisco
For the gambling enthusiast, California is a ‘mixed bag’. The state is desperate for revenue and there’s been discussion about opening new forms of gambling to better compete with the casinos in Las Vegas. At the same time, there’s a specific ban on ‘ball and dice’ games meaning that craps and roulette are not allowed even at Native American casinos. For the Northern California gambling enthusiast that limits his options and the reality is that the region doesn’t have it as good overall as does Southern California.
The original form of gambling in California was the card room which dates back to the ‘Gold Rush’ era. They’ve even been known at times as ‘California Casinos’ and have had their ebb and flow in popularity over the years. At this point, there are 38 card rooms in the state of California with the largest being the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles which remains one of the major venues in the US for high stakes poker. Northern California has a decent number of card rooms though most are significantly smaller than their Los Angeles area counterparts.
Horse racing has always been synonymous with California and although the industry in the state has taken a few hits in recent years with the closing of Hollywood Park it remains fairly popular. Once again, Southern California has it better. Del Mar and Santa Anita are the marquee horse racing properties while live racing in Northern California is limited to Golden Gate Fields which runs thoroughbreds on its synthetic Tapeta surface. San Francisco once had the longest continually operating thoroughbred racing track in California. That was Bay Meadows which opened in 1934 and closed in 2008. All told, over a half dozen horse racing facilities have come and gone in the Bay Area.
Much of the growth in California gambling has been due to the expansion of tribal gaming within the state. This happened much as it did in other states—after the Federal government expanded the gaming sovereignty rights of Native American tribes the state began to negotiate compacts with the individual groups. The result has been dozens of tribal casinos dotting the state offering a variety of slots and table games (though no craps or roulette given the aforementioned ban on ‘ball and dice’ games). There is an extensive Native American gaming presence in Northern California but on balance are smaller and more low key than their SoCal counterparts. Another option for San Francisco casino gaming enthusiasts is making the three hour drive to the Reno/Lake Tahoe area in Nevada.
There is a good deal of hope for even more gambling offerings in the future. Legislation to allow the state’s horse tracks to offer sports betting is working its way through California’s labyrinthine political process and there are other plans in the works. On the plus side—California might be more desperate for new revenue sources than any state in the country which makes them extremely amiable to the expansion of gambling. On the other side—the Native American tribes have been the ‘power brokers’ of gambling for decades and aren’t anxious to give up any of their influence. Any type of expanded gambling would have to be done in a method that placates them and serves their interests.
Sports Betting in San Jose
If Oakland is the underachieving younger brother of San Francisco it might be appropriate to consider San Jose the overachieving older brother. It is in the heart of Silicon Valley and recently was named the ‘Most Expensive City’ in the United States along with neighboring Sunnyvale and Santa Clara. San Jose is one hour South of San Francisco down US-101. San Jose is a great city with a booming economy but the high property values and family friendly zoning keeps most gaming properties out. For the most part, it’s got the same gambling options as San Francisco and Oakland.
For the gambling enthusiast, California is a ‘mixed bag’. The state is desperate for revenue and there’s been discussion about opening new forms of gambling to better compete with the casinos in Las Vegas. At the same time, there’s a specific ban on ‘ball and dice’ games meaning that craps and roulette are not allowed even at Native American casinos. For the Northern California gambling enthusiast that limits his options and the reality is that the region doesn’t have it as good overall as does Southern California. To further extend that comparison, San Jose doesn’t have it as good overall as does San Francisco.
The original form of gambling in California was the card room which dates back to the ‘Gold Rush’ era. They’ve even been known at times as ‘California Casinos’ and have had their ebb and flow in popularity over the years. At this point, there are 38 card rooms in the state of California with the largest being the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles which remains one of the major venues in the US for high stakes poker. Northern California has a decent number of card rooms though most are significantly smaller than their Los Angeles area counterparts. There are four card rooms in Santa Clara County with only two (Bay 101 and the dubiously named Casino M8trix) within San Jose City limits.
Much of the growth in California casino gambling has been due to the expansion of tribal gaming within the state. This happened much as it did in other states—after the Federal government expanded the gaming sovereignty rights of Native American tribes the state began to negotiate compacts with the individual groups. The result has been dozens of tribal casinos dotting the state offering a variety of slots and table games (though no craps or roulette given the aforementioned ban on ‘ball and dice’ games). There is an extensive Native American gaming presence in Northern California but on balance are smaller and more low key than their SoCal counterparts. San Jose’s location puts it almost exactly an hour further away from any of them than San Francisco. It also puts them an hour further away from Reno and the other gaming destinations of Northern Nevada. There’s always the option of flying and it’s a one hour flight with a ticket price of less than $200 from San Francisco International Airport which is just a half hour away.
There is a good deal of hope for even more gambling offerings in the future. Legislation to allow the state’s horse tracks to offer sports betting is working its way through California’s labyrinthine political process and there are other plans in the works. On the plus side—California might be more desperate for new revenue sources than any state in the country which makes them extremely amiable to the expansion of gambling. On the other side—the Native American tribes have been the ‘power brokers’ of gambling for decades and aren’t anxious to give up any of their influence. Any type of expanded gambling would have to be done in a method that placates them and serves their interests.
