California

California is the largest US state by population and by far the largest unregulated sports betting market in the country. Despite two competing 2022 ballot propositions (Prop 26 for in-person tribal-only betting, Prop 27 for statewide mobile betting), both failed at the polls. The state's powerful tribal gaming coalition controls the conversation around any future legalization, and most analysts expect tribal-led tribal-only legalization before any open-market expansion.

Californians who want to bet on sports today rely almost exclusively on offshore sportsbooks operating under Curaçao or Antigua licensing. Major platforms like Bovada, BetOnline, and MyBookie accept California residents. These operators offer competitive odds and bonuses but exist outside any US state regulatory framework, meaning players have limited recourse for disputes.

Sweepstakes casinos including Chumba, Stake.us, and Pulsz operate freely in California under sweepstakes promotion law. The dual-currency system used by these platforms (free play coins plus redeemable sweeps coins) is legally distinct from traditional online gambling and remains accessible to California residents.

Daily fantasy sports operators FanDuel and DraftKings operate legally in California under fantasy sports law, though these are not sportsbooks in the traditional sense.