California 18 And Up Online Sports Betting Sites For 2024

California flag and outline

Sports betting options for California residents are severely limited, which is unfortunate since it is the most populated state at roughly 40 million people — meaning out of all the states in the United States, California likely has the most sports fans and sports bettors who are over the age of 18.

However, if you live in California, did you know that you can legally bet real money at online sportsbooks if you are at least 18 years old? If you live in the Golden State and are over 18, we want to provide you with our reviewed list of legal sports betting sites and a breakdown of the sports betting laws for the Golden State.

Best 18+ Betting Sites In California

SportsbookBonusUSARatingVisit
Bovada Sportsbook Logo50% Bonus
Up To $1,000
5/5Visit SiteReview
BetUS125% Bonus
Up To $3,125
4.8/5Visit SiteReview
Betonline Sportsbook Logo50% Bonus
Up To $1,000
4.2/5Visit SiteReview
Sportsbetting.ag Logo50% Bonus
Up To $1,000
4.1/5Visit SiteReview

Can You Bet On Sports At 18 In California?

Yes. It is 100% legal to sign up and bet on sports if you are eighteen and live in California, but only if you’re using a legally licensed offshore betting site, such as the ones we have reviewed on our site. However, California does not currently allow state-licensed sportsbooks to operate within its jurisdiction for people eighteen and up.

Is It Legal To Bet At 18+ Online Sportsbooks In California?

Yes. As mentioned above, licensed offshore betting sites are legal in California and other 18+ sports betting states if there is no law — state or federal — preventing their use. State-licensed online sportsbooks are currently not allowed in California.

Are Sports Betting Sites Safe For California Gamblers?

Each of the online sportsbooks featured on our site has been determined to be 100% safe for bettors 18 and up after being thoroughly vetted by our staff to determine their legitimacy and security features. Not all sports betting sites are created with the intention of providing players with a safe and secure site to place money on sports, which is why we strongly recommend using the sites we’ve reviewed.

How Did PASPA Affect Legal Sports Betting In California?

PASPA did have an impact on the Golden State’s ability to allow state-regulated sports betting within its borders. In May 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal sports betting law known as PASPA, which had prevented states from deciding whether to allow sportsbooks to operate within their jurisdiction.

California Sports Betting Laws/Pending Bills

California lawmakers have begun the process of introducing sports betting legislation with ACA 16 and SCA 6 in 2020. The plan was to get domestic sports betting on the ballot for November of 2020, but the California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA) intervened, introducing new language that was going to require lengthy debate.

Proposition 26 (in-person sportsbooks at tribal casinos and racetracks) and Proposition 27 (online/mobile sports betting) were put to a vote in November of 2022, but both ballot initiatives failed miserably. There will likely be more attempts to bring domestic sports betting to California, but voter response has been incredibly unfavorable thus far.

18+ State-Licensed Sportsbooks in California

State-licensed sportsbooks for residents 18 and up — or for any age — are currently not allowed to operate within the state lines of California.

Legal Football Betting Options For 18+ In CA

18 & Up College Football Betting In California

With so many NCAAF teams residing in the state, online College Football betting in California is a big draw. The 18+ sports betting sites that are featured on this page offer lines on each game, CFP betting odds, and lines on the National Championship Game, and allow for action all from the comfort of the beach or the office using laptops and other popular smartphones, and tablets. To learn more about mobile betting with iPhones, androids, or Windows, see our reviews index to learn which sites work best with portable devices.

Over 18 NFL Betting In California

Whether it is the Los Angeles Chargers, Rams, or San Francisco 49ers, 18 & over NFL betting sites like the ones featured in the table above are taking wagers on pro football games, futures odds, prop bets, and more. 20 and under sports gamblers can cruise each one of these sites and check out the NFL odds, and each of them offers year-round futures for online Super Bowl betting in California.

How To Bet On The Super Bowl In California

Now that the San Francisco 49ers have made it to Super Bowl LVIII, gamblers in CA are eager to bet on the big game. If you want to bet on the 49ers (or the Chiefs) in CA, you can do so at the age of 18 with any online sportsbook that we feature here. Super Bowl betting is available for the game itself, but gamblers can also wager on SB prop bets and futures for championship teams as soon as the prior year’s Lombardi is awarded.

California College and Professional Sports Teams

The sheer number of college and professional sports teams in California can be hard to keep track of, but here are all the colleges with at least one team playing sports at the NCAA Division I level and all the major professional sports teams in the Golden State.

NCAA Division I Teams:

  • California Baptist Lancers: WAC (Riverside)
  • Cal Poly Mustangs: Big West (San Luis Obispo)
  • Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners: WAC (Bakersfield)
  • Cal State Fullerton Titans: Big West (Fullerton)
  • Cal State Northridge Matadors: Big West (Northridge)
  • California Golden Bears: Pac-12 (Berkeley)
  • Fresno State Bulldogs: Mountain West (Fresno)
  • Long Beach State 49ers: Big West (Long Beach)
  • Loyola Marymount Lions: West Coast (Los Angeles)
  • Pacific Tigers: West Coast (Stockton)
  • Pepperdine Waves: West Coast (Malibu)
  • Sacramento State Hornets: Big Sky (Sacramento)
  • Saint Mary’s Gaels: West Coast (Moraga)
  • San Diego Toreros: West Coast (San Diego)
  • San Diego State Aztecs: Mountain West (San Diego)
  • San Francisco Dons: West Coast (San Francisco)
  • San Jose State Spartans: Mountain West (San Jose)
  • Santa Clara Broncos: West Coast (Santa Clara)
  • Stanford Cardinal: Pac-12 (Palo Alto)
  • UC Davis Aggies: Big West (Davis)
  • UC Irvine Anteaters: Big West (Irvine)
  • UC Riverside Highlanders: Big West (Riverside)
  • UC Santa Barbara Gauchos: Big West (Santa Barbara)
  • UCLA Bruins: Pac-12 (Los Angeles)
  • USC Trojans and Women of Troy: Pac-12 (Los Angeles)

Major Professional Sports Teams:

  • Anaheim Ducks: NHL (Anaheim)
  • Golden State Warriors: NBA (Oakland)
  • LA Galaxy: MLS (Carson)
  • Los Angeles Angels: MLB (Anaheim)
  • Los Angeles Chargers: NFL (Inglewood)
  • Los Angeles Clippers: NBA (Los Angeles)
  • Los Angeles Dodgers: MLB (Los Angeles)
  • Los Angeles FC: MLS (Los Angeles)
  • Los Angeles Kings: NHL (Los Angeles)
  • Los Angeles Lakers: NBA (Los Angeles)
  • Los Angeles Rams: NFL (Inglewood)
  • Los Angeles Sparks: WNBA (Los Angeles)
  • Oakland Athletics: MLB (Oakland)
  • Sacramento Kings: NBA (Sacramento)
  • San Diego Padres: MLB (San Diego)
  • San Francisco 49ers: NFL (San Francisco)
  • San Francisco Giants: MLB (San Francisco)
  • San Jose Earthquakes: MLS (San Jose)
  • San Jose Sharks: NHL (San Jose)

Notable Athletes Born in California

When it comes to noteworthy people in sports, it would be hard to argue that any state has given birth to more notable athletes and sports figures than California. Here is a list of the best athletes to be born in the state.

  • Aaron Judge – All-Star MLB player (Linden)
  • Aaron Rodgers – Pro Bowl NFL player (Chico)
  • Alan Trammell – Hall of Fame MLB player (Garden Grove)
  • Alex Morgan – World and Olympic champion soccer player (San Dimas)
  • Barry Bonds – All-Star MLB player (Riverside)
  • Bill Walsh – All-Time Great NFL coach (Los Angeles)
  • Bill Walton – Hall of Fame NBA player (La Mesa)
  • Billie Jean King – All-Time Great tennis player (Long Beach)
  • Bobby Bonds – All-Star MLB player (Riverside)
  • Brandi Chastain – World and Olympic champion soccer player (San Jose)
  • Brian Boitano – World and Olympic champion figure skater (Mountain View)
  • Bruce Bowen – 3x champion NBA player (Merced)
  • Carson Palmer – Pro Bowl NFL player (Fresno)
  • DeMar DeRozan – All-Star NBA player (Compton)
  • Dennis Eckersley – Hall of Fame MLB player (Oakland)
  • Don Drysdale – Hall of Fame MLB player (Van Nuys)
  • Dustin Pedroia – All-Star MLB player (Woodland)
  • Eddie Murray – Hall of Fame MLB player (Los Angeles)
  • Frank Gifford – Hall of Fame NFL player (Santa Monica)
  • Gary Payton – Hall of Fame NBA player (Oakland)
  • James Harden – All-Star NBA player (Los Angeles)
  • Jason Kidd – Hall of Fame NBA player (San Francisco)
  • Jeff Gordon – Hall of Fame NASCAR driver (Vallejo)
  • Jerry Jones – Hall of Fame NFL owner (Los Angeles)
  • Jim Plunkett – Hall of Fame NFL player (San Jose)
  • Jimmie Johnson – 7x NASCAR Cup Series champion driver (El Cajon)
  • Joe Cronin – Hall of Fame MLB player (San Francisco)
  • Joe DiMaggio – All-Time Great MLB player (Martinez)
  • Kawhi Leonard – All-Star NBA player (Los Angeles)
  • Kerri Walsh Jennings – All-Time Great beach volleyball player (Santa Clara)
  • Kevin Love – All-Star NBA player (Santa Monica)
  • Keyshawn Johnson – Pro Bowl NFL player (Los Angeles)
  • Klay Thompson – All-Star NBA player (Los Angeles)
  • Kristi Yamaguchi – World and Olympic champion figure skater (Hayward)
  • Lance Briggs – Pro Bowl NFL player (Los Angeles)
  • Landon Donovan – American soccer player (Ontario)
  • Lefty O’Doul – Hall of Fame MLB player (San Francisco)
  • Lindsay Davenport – Hall of Fame tennis player (Palos Verdes)
  • Marcus Allen – Hall of Fame NFL player (San Diego)
  • Mark McGwire – All-Star MLB player (Pomona)
  • Mark Spitz – World and Olympic champion swimmer (Modesto)
  • Maureen Connolly – Hall of Fame tennis player (San Diego)
  • Michelle Kwan – World champion figure skater (Torrance)
  • Mike Holmgren – Super Bowl champion NFL coach (San Francisco)
  • Missy Franklin – World and Olympic champion swimmer (Pasadena)
  • Misty May-Treanor – All-Time Great beach volleyball player (Los Angeles)
  • Natalie Coughlin – World and Olympic champion swimmer (Vallejo)
  • J. Simpson – Hall of Fame NFL player (San Francisco)
  • Oscar De La Hoya – All-Time Great boxer (Los Angeles)
  • Paul Pierce – All-Star NBA player (Oakland)
  • Pete Carroll – Super Bowl/National Champion football coach (San Francisco)
  • Pete Rozelle – Hall of Fame NFL commissioner (South Gate)
  • Randy Johnson – All-Time Great MLB player (Walnut Creek)
  • Reggie Miller – Hall of Fame NBA player (Riverside)
  • Ron Mix – Hall of Fame NFL player (Los Angeles)
  • Russell Westbrook – All-Star NBA player (Long Beach)
  • Ryan Braun – All-Star MLB player (Los Angeles)
  • Shaun White – Olympic and X-Games champion athlete (San Diego)
  • Ted Williams – All-Time Great MLB player (San Diego)
  • Tedy Bruschi – 3x Super Bowl champion NFL player (San Francisco)
  • Terrell Davis – Hall of Fame NFL player (San Diego)
  • Tiger Woods – All-Time Great golfer (Cypress)
  • Tom Brady – All-Time Great NFL player (San Mateo)
  • Tom Seaver – Hall of Fame MLB player (Fresno)
  • Tony Gwynn – All-Time Great MLB player (Los Angeles)
  • Tony Hawk – All-Time Great skateboarder (San Diego)
  • Tony Lazzeri – Hall of Fame MLB player (San Francisco)
  • Trevor Hoffman – Hall of Fame MLB player (Bellflower)
  • Venus Williams – Grand Slam champion tennis player (Lynwood)

Legal Minimum Gambling Age in California

In California, a resident must be at least 18 years of age to meet the minimum gambling age requirement in the state to play at a casino. However, casinos that serve alcohol require residents to be at least 21 to enter.

Other Forms of Legal 18+ Gambling in California

California residents who are 18 and up can bet real money on the lottery, poker, bingo, and at racetracks. Again, local establishments set their own minimum age requirement as long as it’s above age 18 and must set the minimum age to 21 if alcohol is served.

Additional Resources

If you or someone you know has developed problem gambling habits in California, please contact the California Council on Problem Gambling for immediate help.