A Guide to California’s Casinos
When most people think about gambling in the United States, they immediately think of think of Las Vegas and Nevada. But with around 150 legal casinos in California, the Golden State could give the state of Nevada a hard time. Before you go and declare California to be the new gambling mecca of the United States, there are a few things to keep in mind. The casino games on offer depend on whether you’re playing at a card room casino or a Native American casino. In addition to this, these Native American casinos are located on reservations, making them a little more difficult to access.
The History of Gambling in California
Gambling in California can trace its roots back to 1933. This was when betting on horse racing was legalized for the first time, thanks to a constitutional amendment. Thanks to this change in the law, the public’s opinion on the subject changed as well. This lead to the opening of numerous horseracing tracks.
While horse racing gained popularity in the 1930s, gambling at actual casinos only started to take off in the year 2000. It was only in 2000 that the State started to allow Native American tribes to run casinos legally.
Casinos Near me in California
With nearly 40 million people living in the state, you’d hope there would be enough casinos to meet the demand. Thankfully, there is. There are around 150 legal casinos within the Golden State, but things get a little more complicated. Not all the casinos in California offer the same games, due to the laws of the state.
If a player is looking to go to their nearest casino and play slots, Roulette, or Craps, you’re probably going to be disappointed. The card club casinos in California are not permitted to allow players to play casino games that rely solely on luck. This means that these card club casinos can offer games where player skill come into play, such as Pai Gow Poker, Baccarat and Blackjack, but not Roulette.
If you want to play these sorts of games, you’ll need to head to one of the casinos run by Native American tribes, as they’re able to offer games that don’t require any skill from the player. They do tend to be a little more out of the way for most Californians, though. If you’re wondering “where can I find casinos near me?”, look no further.
Top Casinos Near me in California
| CASINO | GAMES | OTHER FEATURES | CONTACT DETAILS |
|
Hustler Casino
|
50 Poker Tables 30 Table games |
Restaurants Bar |
1000 West Redondo Beach Blvd Gardena, CA, 90247 310-719-9800 |
|
Pala Casino Resort & Spa
|
2000 Slots 80 Table Games 15 table Poker room |
11 Restaurants Spa Hotel |
35008 Pala Temecula Road, Pala, CA 92059 1-877-946-7252 |
|
Fantasy Springs Resort & Casinos
|
2000 slots 40 table games |
250 Room Hotel Restaurants Bars Bowling Golf Live Entertainment |
84-245 Indio Springs Parkway. Indio, CA 92203 800-827-2946 |
|
Pechanga Resort & Casino
|
4000 Slots 154 Table games 700 Seat Bingo |
Restaurants Bar Comedy Cub Cabaret Lounge Spa Hotel |
45000 Pechanga Parkway, Temecula, CA 92592 1-877-711-2946 |
|
Harrah’s Ricon
|
1700 Slots 68+ Table Games |
Restaurants Golf Spa Hotel |
777 Harrah’s Rincon Way, Valley Center, CA 92082 760-751-3100 |
Online Gambling in California
Many states in the United States are currently looking into passing laws to officially allow gambling online. With California’s large population, this would likely be a huge success. However, for any law like this to be allowed, it would likely need the backing of the Native American casinos. At this time, no such law has been passed.
Gambling in California – Going Forward
It is likely that law will be passed at some point officially allowing online gambling. The land-based casinos in California will need to be given some incentive to support the bill, but California cannot afford to ignore this.
Until online gambling is officially legalized, players are still free to enjoy online casinos that accept American players.
California Gambling Resources
More information relating to gambling in California can be found at the following websites:
California Office of Problem Gambling
While many people gamble without issue, some develop an addiction and become problem gamblers. The California Office of Problem Gambling offers people who suffer from gambling problems can get information and assistance. Find out more here.
California CPG
The California CPG, Council on Problem Gambling, aims to provide help to people who are addicted to gambling, as well as their families. This is a non-profit organization that offers information on how to identify problem gambler, as well as how to effectively treat this issue. Find out more here.