4/10/2022
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Best Casino Slots In California Rating: 9,3/10 2800 votes

On this page, we’ve compiled an in-depth summary of the current state of online gambling in CA, touching on various topics from the legality of gambling in the state to current regulatory debates. We’ve also compiled a list of safe and secure online casinos for California residents that you can view below, which have all been in business for 10+ years with no issues. If you’re looking for a legal, safe, and trusted California online casinos, you’re in luck!

  1. Best Gambling Casinos In California
  2. Best Casino Slots In California
  3. Best Slot Casino In Northern California
  4. Best Indian Casino Slots In California

Find the best casinos in California right here, at Casino US! When most people think about gambling, they immediately think of Las Vegas. But gamblers can find some of the best casinos in the state of California. With around 150 legal casinos in the Golden State, California can give the state of Nevada a run for its money. Slot machines are technically illegal in California. However, tribal casinos fall under federal jurisdiction, allowing gamblers to visit more than 60 casinos with slots on Indian reservation lands. The biggest casino in California is the Pechanga resort and casino covering more than 188,000 square feet with over 5000 slot machines 158 table games, 700 capacity bingo hall and more. Are there slot machines in California? There are slot machines at the tribal casinos in California. What kind of gambling is illegal in California?

  • In July 2020, Southern California casino player readers voted for their favorite slot games from a list of nominated games including a write-in option. 'Southern California has 24 casinos and over 45,000 slot machines, so every one of the 2020 Best Slots winners stand out as consistently delivering fun and exciting experiences.
  • The 2019 Best Casinos include first, second and third place winners in 17 casino categories. 'California has the largest number of Tribal casinos in the country, and many of the best are in Southern California,' said Theon B. Cross, publisher of Southern California's only monthly casino and slot guide.

What Are the Top Real Money Online Casinos in California?

RankOnline CasinoKey InfoBonus InfoVisit Casino
#1
  • Excellent Payout Speeds
  • 280% Welcome Bonus
  • Brand New Casino
#2
  • Large Selection of Slots
  • Variety of Banking Options
  • 300% Bonus up to $6,000
#3
  • High end game graphics
  • Visa, MC, BTC, Neosurf
  • Fast payouts
#4
  • Instant Play & Download
  • Over 250+ Online Slots
  • 4-8 Hr. Payout Time
#5
  • 250% First Deposit Bonus
  • Fast Payout Times
  • Large Selection of Games

California is known for being a trendsetter when it comes to most industries in the United States. It’s no surprise that legalized online gambling in California has grown far ahead of many other locations in the United States.

Why These CA Online Casinos Are The Best

They Offer Legal, Trusted Gambling Games to Residents and Visitors

The entire reason you’re probably here is to figure out which online casinos offer services to California residents. You’ve probably heard mixed answers about the legality of online gambling in California and, therefore, are not sure where you can and cannot play.

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Because of that, the number one trait that makes California online casinos great is simply the fact that they offer services to California residents and visitors!

Just because an online casino says it services US customers does not mean it is a good fit for California gamblers. In order for us to recommend an online casino to you, we need to know for sure that it services California gamblers.

They Offer Games Californians Love to Play

What good is an online casino if it doesn’t have the games that Californians love to play? We’ll answer that question for you—it’s no good at all. The California online casinos that we’ve recommended offer an extremely wide variety of games, including favorites like blackjack, craps, roulette, three card poker, keno, slot machines, pai gow, sic bo, and more! If you’re looking for an easy way to play your favorite gambling games for real money in California, check out one of the recommended online casinos from the up-to-date list at the top of the page.

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They Have Banking Options That Work Fast

Not every banking option works everywhere in the world. There are specific banking options that work better and faster for California residents. When we’re analyzing the quality of California online casinos, we ensure that they have several high-quality online casino banking options that work great for Californians.


While we don’t need tons of options, we do want to see at least a couple of great deposit options and a couple of great withdrawal options. You’re only going to need one, but we want options just so you have a better chance of seeing an option that is a great fit for you.

The Ultimate in Convenience

The entire point of using online casino sites is to provide convenience. California is an extremely spread out state in some areas, which means you may be hundreds of miles from the closest land-based casino. Additionally, that land-based casino might not offer the games you want to play. This is where online casinos come in. The idea of an online casino is to solve these problems and bring convenience to players across the state.

But this convenience goes away if the online gambling site doesn’t set things up properly. It should be super simple for you to create an account, make a deposit, find the games you like, play, and withdraw your winnings. If any of these things aren’t super simple, we’re not interested in the site and you won’t see those California online casinos recommended on this page.

Is Online Gambling Legal in California?

These days, the United States is one of the more confusing countries in the world when it comes to online gambling laws, with dozens of states having different rules and nuances of how they treat the topic. When it comes to California, it is perhaps the unique exception. There are currently no specific regulations that explicitly prohibit online gambling for residents of the state.

Because of this, Californians have little worry when it comes to playing online casino games, and currently, there are a number of trustworthy sites offering online casino games, sports betting, and poker across the state.

There is no specific law or set of laws making it illegal for CA residents to play casino games online but, as is the case in most of the United States, there are no laws regulating the industry either.

Unlike the state lottery, casinos that operate online are not subject to any sort of government scrutiny and, in many ways, can operate without fear of legal ramifications. For this reason, many bills have been proposed with the end goal of legalizing and regulating the online casino industry in the state.

Up to this point, however, any and all legislation aimed at legalizing and regulating online casinos has either stalled or has been flat-out rejected.

What Does This Mean for You?

There are two important takeaways you should get from this. One, it is not illegal for you to gamble online in California. You are free to play the games you want for real money without fear of negative repercussions. Two, the market is unregulated, which means that you will not have some of the added protections and oversight you would get in a regulated market.

This makes it that much more important that you choose to gamble online in California. The good news for you is that casinos make a lot of money. For them to continue making money, they have to continue having happy customers that are getting the entertainment value they desire. If they are not operating reputably and taking care of their customers, word will get out, and their cash cow is going to dry up. This places a huge incentive for online casinos in California to do things the right way as if they were being regulated.

Still, not every online casino follows that mindset. There are some California online casinos that only look at the short term and don’t care about their long-term sustainability. Because of this, it is also important that you take advantage of resources like this site to help you determine where the best casinos online are. If you want to ensure you’re betting with one of these reputable sites, stick to the recommended list we’ve provided at the top of the page.

The Future of Online Gambling in California

Despite what has been a mostly fruitless endeavor up to this point, experts believe that California is one of the next states that will establish legalized intrastate online casinos. Each year, it seems as though a larger number of bills for the complete and total legalization and regulation of online casinos gets put into circulation.

It is only a matter of time until one of them is signed into law. With that being said, online gambling sites are what many would consider to be the least of California’s governmental problems. With almost constant drought, severe debt, and many other issues on hand, it becomes difficult for activists to convince politicians and voters alike that establishing an online casino network is something that should be done soon. Many efforts have been made, and only few have succeeded.

The fact that the California government does not oversee them does not mean that the California online casinos which offer their games are not trustworthy. These casinos are regulated abroad and most are very reliable; you just have to sign up with time-tested ones with stellar reputations. To help you with choosing a legal CA online casino to play at, we have reviewed and researched dozens and recommend the best online casinos for California residents at the top of the page.

Legal Status of Brick and Mortar Casinos — California

In California, there are plenty of brick-and-mortar locations all over the state. One thing that all of these casinos have in common, however, is that they are all Native American-run and almost always located on Native American land. This sounds like a rather conservative policy for an otherwise liberal state, but the wider scope of gambling and casinos in California is not as restrictive as it may first appear. Of course, this all depends on where you reside in the United States.

The land-based casinos in California usually offer all the classic favorites such as slots, roulette, keno, baccarat, blackjack and the like.

While California law does not allow for casino games like roulette and slots to be played off Native American land, it does facilitate the playing of poker games such as Texas Hold ‘em and Omaha.
California

Card rooms—as they are known in California—number in the tens of dozens and seem to be growing in number all the time. Poker is the dominant offering of California’s card rooms, however, blackjack variants and other more obscure games can be found being played as well. Basically, so long as the game is centered around playing cards, the rule of thumb is that it can likely be found at a card room. Naturally, some card rooms are better than others, and thus, the offering of one card room is never equal to that of another.

Additionally, if you play non-poker, gambling-type games in one of these card rooms, you’ll notice that the “bank” or who you are playing against will actually be another player at the table who is being paid to be there. It’s a confusing system and clearly a workaround for the state laws, but the outcome is the same. You are able to play your favorite games without fear of negative repercussions.

There are brick and mortar, Native American-run casinos all over the state, however, online gambling is still the easiest way to play any and all casino games at any time of day. When it comes down to it, someone who is looking to play casino games in California will either have to do so at CA online casinos or on Native American land. As you might have guessed, this predicament means that online casino play in California is quite widespread. It’s this common knowledge that is driving the push to legalize and regulate real money online casinos.

Best Gambling Casinos In California

In recent years, pro-casino activists have lobbied politicians to promote and/or vote for bills to expand the way in which Californians can gamble at brick-and-mortar sites, but most of those efforts have so far been for naught. This is interesting, too, because California is historically one of the more liberal states in the country. Some of the largest land-based casinos currently operating in California include the following:

Local California Land Based Casinos

CasinoAddressPhone
Pechanga Resort & Casino45000 Pechanga Parkway(877) 7112-WIN
Cache Creek Casino14455 CA-16(800) 452-8181
San Manuel Casino777 San Manuel Blvd(800) 359-2464
Thunder Valley Casino1200 Athens Avenue(916) 408-7777
Viejas Casino & Turf Club5000 Willows Road(800) 847-6537
Morongo Casino Resort49750 Seminole Drive (800) 252-4499
Pala Casino Resort11154 Highway 76(877) 946-7252
Red Hawk Casino1 Red Hawk Boulevard(888) 573-3495
Barona Casino & Resort1932 Wildcat Canyon Rd(888) 722-7662
Table Mountain Casino8184 Table Mountain Rd(800) 541-3637

California Online Casinos and Gambling FAQ

  • Abbreviation: CA
  • State Motto: Eureka
  • Capital City: Sacramento
  • Population Estimate: 39.5 million (1st)
  • Website: https://www.ca.gov/
What Is the Legal Age to Play at online casinos in California?
In California, the minimum age for participation in lottery games is 18 years old, but one must be 21 to play at the state’s card rooms. Because there are no laws in effect at the present moment, we feel safe saying that one should be at least 21 years of age before they play at California online casinos.
What Are the Best Online Casinos to Play at in California?
If you’re looking for the most trusted, safe, and overall best California online casinos, you’re in luck. Our review team has spent countless hours scouring the web for the top sites. At the top of this page, we’ve included a link of the best of the best to ensure you have the greatest online gambling experience while you’re living in California or visiting the west coast.
Yes, online blackjack is currently legal in California at the casino sites we recommend on this page. All of the operators listed offer many popular variants of blackjack, including single and double deck, Spanish 21, progressive blackjack, and others.
Slots are also completely legal in California and can be enjoyed at one of the many California online casinos. All of these gambling sites offer a wide variety of games such as video slots, reel slots, progressives, and bonus rounds from leading providers.
Why Is Craps (Dice) Illegal in California Land-Based Casinos?
Presently, craps is prohibited in land-based casinos in the state, as regulators feel there is no skill involved in the game and it’s too risk-centric for players. That being said, you are free to play craps online from California without restrictions at sites like Cherry Gold Casino, one of our top rated site.
Similar to craps, roulette is currently banned from land-based casinos in CA, due to the fact there is very little skill involved for players. It’s also viewed as having too high of a house edge against players. There are electronic variants that are available in some land-based casinos in California. If you do want to play the game from inside California state lines, finding an online casino site is the way to go. All of our recommended CA casinos on this page do offer the ability for players from CA to play roulette online, so that’s your best bet if you want to play from within the state.
As is often the case in the United States, depositing funds can vary. Most often, the preferred methods by which you can fund an online casino account is by way of credit/debit card or by bank transfer. Other forms of deposit may be accepted, but these two tend to be the most common. In many online casinos open to California residents, other ways of depositing funds in online casinos include Money Gram or Western Union transfers, as well as cryptocurrency like Bitcoin.
Though you may be able to deposit by way of credit or debit card, it is not likely that California residents will be able to cash out their casino winnings via this method. Instead, you will find that most online casino sites transmit winnings by way of paper check or direct bank transfer. You can usually also request to be paid your casino winnings by bitcoin.
Is Dealing with Online Casinos in California Safe?
If you know that there exists no framework for regulated and legalized online casino play in California, you might be wondering how anyone is able to trust the many sites that offer their services in the state. The fact of the matter is that, while you may not be able to take an online casino to court in California, a small bit of due diligence will lead you to trustworthy, reputable online casinos in California. Plenty of well-respected names in the online casino industry operate in CA, and these are names that can be trusted.

Most notably, the online casinos we recommend for California residents have all been operating for many years and have strong reputations to defend. In case of issues, they will resolve them immediately so that their stellar reputations are not sullied. These online casinos also use time-tested technology and reputable casino games, therefore, you can be sure that if you decide to make a deposit in one of these casinos, your depositing process will be safe and secure and the games you will play will be fair and give you an honest chance to win money!

Introduction to California Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

California slot machine casino gambling consists of 65 tribal casinos, the third-largest number of casinos in any U.S. state after Nevada and Oklahoma.

Best Casino Slots In California

I’ve dedicated this weekly series to slot enthusiasts such as yourself as you master casino slots and win your way to success by using this State-By-State Online Resource to improve your slots gambling performance by reviewing your state’s slots gaming industry.

Best gambling casinos in california

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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in California*

The minimum legal gambling age in California depends upon the gambling activity:

  • Land-Based Casinos: 18 or, if serving alcohol, 21
  • Poker Rooms: 18 or, if serving alcohol, 21
  • Bingo: 18
  • Lottery: 18
  • Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18

Slot Machine Private Ownership in California

It is legal to own a slot machine privately in California if it is 25 years old or older.

Gaming Control Board in California

The California Gambling Control Commission supports the regulation of tribal gaming through oversight activities as defined in California’s 61 tribal-state compacts.

Further, the Bureau of Gambling Control within California’s Department of Justice provides state law enforcement authority with jurisdiction over gambling activities.

Non-slots-related gaming control boards include the California Horse Racing Board and the California Lottery Commission.

Casinos in California

California has 65 American Indian tribal casinos, ten racetracks without gaming machines, numerous card rooms also without gaming machines, and cruise ships with onboard casinos to Hawaii, Alaska, and international destinations.

The largest casino in California is San Manuel Casino having 4,800 gaming machines.

The second-largest casino is Pechanga Resort Casino with 4,000 gaming machines.

Commercial Casinos in California

There are no commercial casinos with slot machines in California.

Tribal Casinos in California

California’s 65 tribal casinos are:

  1. Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa in Palm Springs, 115 miles east of Los Angeles.
  2. Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa in Rancho Mirage, 115 miles east of Los Angeles.
  3. Augustine Casino in Coachella, 125 miles east of Los Angeles.
  4. Barona Resort & Casino in Lakeside, 15 miles northeast of San Diego.
  5. Bear River Casino Resort in Loleta, 10 miles south of Eureka;
  6. Black Oak Casino Resort in Tuolumne, 100 miles southeast of Sacramento.
  7. Blue Lake Casino Hotel in Blue Lake, 10 miles north of Eureka.
  8. Cache Creek Casino Resort in Brooks, 35 miles northwest of Sacramento.
  9. Cahuilla Casino Hotel in Anza, 30 miles south of Palm Springs.
  10. Casino Pauma in Pauma Valley, 35 miles northeast of San Diego.
  11. Cher-Ae Heights Casino in Trinidad, 25 miles north of Eureka.
  12. Chicken Ranch Casino in Jamestown, 100 miles southeast of Sacramento.
  13. Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino in Coarsegold, 35 miles north of Fresno.
  14. Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, 40 miles northwest of Santa Barbara.
  15. Colusa Casino Resort in Colusa, 75 miles north of Sacramento.
  16. Coyote Valley Casino in Redwood Valley, 115 miles north of San Francisco.
  17. Desert Rose Casino in Alturas, 100 miles north of Susanville.
  18. Diamond Mountain Casino Hotel & Brewery in Susanville, 160 miles northeast of Sacramento.
  19. Eagle Mountain Casino in Porterville, 60 miles southeast of Fresno.
  20. Elk Valley Casino in Crescent City, 84 miles north of Eureka.
  21. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, 125 miles east of Los Angeles.
  22. Feather Falls Casino & Lodge in Oroville, 100 miles north of Sacramento.
  23. Fort Independence Travel Center & Winnedumah Winns Casino in Independence, 90 miles east of Fresno.
  24. Garcia River Casino in Point Arena, 130 miles north of San Francisco.
  25. Gold Country Casino Resort in Oroville, 100 miles north of Sacramento.
  26. Golden Acorn Casino Travel Center in Campo, 40 miles southeast of San Diego.
  27. Graton Resort & Casino in Rohnert Park, 50 miles north of San Francisco.
  28. Hard Rock Casino & Hotel Sacramento at Fire Mountain in Wheatland, 36 miles north of Sacramento.
  29. Harrah’s Resort Southern California in Valley Center, 35 miles northeast of San Diego.
  30. Havasu Landing Resort & Casino in Havasu Lake, 200 miles east of Los Angeles.
  31. Hidden Oaks Casino in Covelo, 150 miles northwest of Sacramento.
  32. Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort in Jackson, 50 miles southeast of Sacramento.
  33. Jamul Casino in Jamul, 10 miles east of San Diego.
  34. Konocti Vista Casino Resort in Lakeport, 120 miles north of San Francisco.
  35. Lucky 7 Casino Hotel in Smith River, 100 miles north of Eureka.
  36. Mono Wind Casino in Auberry, 30 miles northeast of Fresno.
  37. Morongo Casino Resort Spa in Cabazon, 90 miles east of Los Angeles.
  38. Pala Casino Spa and Resort in Pala, 35 miles northeast of San Diego.
  39. Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, located 50 miles north of San Diego.
  40. Pit River Casino in Burney, 190 miles north of Sacramento.
  41. Quechan Casino Resort in Winterhaven, 170 miles east of San Diego.
  42. Rain Rock Casino in Yreka, 250 miles north of Sacramento.
  43. Red Earth Casino in Salton Sea Beach, 114 miles southeast of Riverside.
  44. Red Fox Casino in Laytonville, 150 miles northwest of Sacramento.
  45. Red Hawk Casino in Placerville, 40 miles east of Sacramento.
  46. Redwood Hotel Casino in Klamath, 65 miles north of Eureka.
  47. River Rock Casino in Geyserville, 75 miles north of San Francisco.
  48. Robinson Rancheria Resort, Casino & Bingo in Nice, 115 miles northwest of Sacramento.
  49. Rolling Hills Casino Resort in Corning, 115 miles north of Sacramento.
  50. Running Creek Casino in Upper Lake, 120 miles northwest of Sacramento.
  51. San Manuel Casino in Highland, located 65 miles east of Los Angeles.
  52. San Pablo Lytton Casino in San Pablo, 15 miles north of Oakland.
  53. Sherwood Valley Casino in Willits, 130 miles north of San Francisco.
  54. Soboba Casino Resort in San Jacinto, 90 miles east of Los Angeles.
  55. Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella, 130 miles east of Los Angeles.
  56. Sycuan Casino & Resort in El Cajon, 10 miles east of San Diego.
  57. Table Mountain Casino in Friant, 15 miles north of Fresno.
  58. Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Lemoore, 50 miles south of Fresno.
  59. Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, 35 miles northeast of Sacramento.
  60. Tortoise Rock Casino in Twentynine Palms, 125 miles east of Los Angeles.
  61. Twin Pine Casino & Hotel in Middletown, 100 miles north of San Francisco.
  62. Valley View Casino & Hotel in Valley Center, 35 miles northeast of San Diego.
  63. Viejas Casino & Resort in Alpine, 25 miles east of San Diego.
  64. Wanaaha Casino in Bishop, 130 miles northeast of Fresno.
  65. Win-River Casino & Resort in Redding, 163 miles north of Sacramento.

Other Gambling Establishments

Best Slot Casino In Northern California

As an alternative to enjoying California slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering California is:

  • North: Oregon Slots
  • East: Nevada Slots and Arizona Slots
  • South: The country of Mexico
  • West: Pacific Ocean

Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to California.

Our California Slots Facebook Group

Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in California? If so, join our California slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to freely join this closed Facebook Group community.

There, you can meet online and privately share your slots experiences with local slots enthusiasts about playing slot machines in California. Join us!

Payouts and Returns in California

Tribal-state gaming compacts negotiated between the state of California and its 61 tribes do not include theoretical payout limits nor require public reporting of return statistics.

Summary of California Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

California slot machine casino gambling consists of 65 tribal casinos generally located on remote tribal reservations throughout the state.

Annual Progress in California Slot Machine Casino Gambling

Over the last year, Thunder Valley Casino Resort has fallen from second-largest casino to fourth largest after San Manuel Casino, Pechanga Resort Casino, and Graton Resort & Casino.

Also, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain has, at long last, opened.

Finally, one casino has permanently closed and another underwent a name change:

  • Lucky Bear Casino in Hoopa has permanently closed.
  • Paiute Palace Casino in Bishop is now the Wanaaha Casino.

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Best Indian Casino Slots In California

Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC