Is sports betting legal in California?

The short answer

No. Sports betting is not legal in California. In an opinion on daily fantasy sports, the Attorney General's office refers to Penal Code section 337a as the law that prohibits wagering on sports.

Voters were asked twice, in November 2022, whether to change that, and they said no both times. Proposition 26 would have allowed sports wagering on tribal lands, and Proposition 27 would have allowed online sports wagering outside tribal lands.

Key facts from official sources

What the law says

Wagering on sports is prohibited by Penal Code section 337a, according to the Attorney General's office.

Penal Code section 337a, which prohibits wagering on sports

Source: oag.ca.gov

November 2022 ballot

Proposition 26 (sports wagering on tribal lands) and Proposition 27 (online sports wagering outside tribal lands) both failed.

Source: elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov

Help line

The state Department of Justice gives the national helpline and a text line.

For no-cost, confidential help 24/7 call: 1-800-GAMBLER or text SUPPORT to 53342 Visit problemgambling.ca.gov for more information.

Source: oag.ca.gov

What failed and what did not change

Both measures were defeated by large margins, and sports wagering in California stays where it was. Proposition 26 asked voters to allow sports wagering on tribal lands. Proposition 27 asked them to allow online sports wagering outside tribal lands. The Secretary of State's Statement of Vote gives the totals in the table above.

Because there is no legal sports betting in California, there is no state license to look up and no regulator's list of approved apps. An app that is licensed in another state does not carry that license into California. If an advertisement says otherwise, treat it with caution.

If you want to follow the topic

Ballot measures and bills on sports betting come up again from time to time. The Secretary of State's site and the Attorney General's site are the official places to look for the current position, and the date on any page you read matters.

How to find the licensed apps in California

There is no state license to look up in California, so there is no regulator's list of approved apps. We do not list individual apps here.

Legal betting still depends on where you are when you tap to confirm. Look up the rules for your current location first, and install an app only from an official store or the operator's own page.

What we could not verify

Anything we could not read on an official page, with the wording to show for it, is not on this page. The gaps are:

• Whether California has any state body that licenses sports betting. No official page we could read says so.
• Any official statement on tribal sports wagering in California.

Check the date before you rely on a fact: we read these sources on October 30, 2026, and the law may have changed since.

Betting responsibly in California

A bet is a cost you choose to pay for entertainment, never an income plan and never a way to recover a loss. Fix your limit first and use the limit tools in the app. The state Department of Justice gives the national helpline and a text line. Call 1-800-GAMBLER whenever you need to, or open the responsible gambling page.

Related reading

• The full state table with the map.
• Neighbouring pages: New York, Iowa, Maryland.
• American odds explained, before you read a price.
• The parlay calculator and what a parlay is.
• What a moneyline bet is.

Frequently asked questions