The state of California has been one of the most prominent of all US States in the push to get online gambling legalized. While bills have pretty much been stymied at the committee stage in actually legalizing online gambling operations, California still looks as if it could be one of the front runners in initiating change. So whether or not online gambling in the state of California is legal, even without an official say-so, players in the state are still finding safe ways to legally gamble online in California.
Over $300 million gets spent by around 1 million Californians each year playing online poker alone and no-one has gotten in trouble for it, because it is not illegal. Might well there be bans at both state and federal level in place, but the world of online gambling stretches beyond that. Players can get online and satiate their internet gambling needs at sites which are based outside of California (mostly outside of the country when it comes to poker) and this is where all the lines get a little bit blurred. It has taken around four years for Californian lawmakers to get to this point of still no decision over whether or not to open legal channels in the state for online gambling, advocates of which say that it would help generate state funds.
A particular bill proposed by Roderick Wright in 2012 wanted to allow a limited number of parties to obtain a poker license for example, including websites which took "advanced deposit wagering." Nothing was decided though, so there are no distinct illegalities about the practice which are going to see individuals penalized. The legalization of poker in California is the main area being pushed and the fight will continue for some time, with both sides offering valid points about either going ahead and regulating online poker in order to reap the taxation benefits, or either work harder to try and ban it. The whole process is in a legal limbo.
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So pretty much like the rest of the United Sates online gambling is pretty safe to do. The federal bills, as mentioned above, like the Wire Act or the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act which were set up to regulate gambling, really don't have bearing on the individual getting online and enjoy a sports wager, a casino or a game of poker. There are just too many gray areas to begin to even try to block the players on the client side and all that any legislation is going to proffer is regulations to what gaming operations can and cannot do. There are things that players can do to protect themselves of course and that is paying adherence to age limits and finding established online gambling sites.
Any online gambling, be it online sports betting for California, a game of poker or enjoying casino games will be best done at an online operator which has a big reputation and goes by the book as much as possible. This is in the player's best interests to do so because it will help cut out fraudulent practices. One of the most highly recommended sites is Bovada (where online gaming regulations are a little more forward than other states), while 5Dimes and BetOnline also offer great services for the player that wants the whole package in one site.
If you're looking for a specific online casino that is best for California players players then we'd have to recommend a site like High Noon, Club World or WinPalace. These are all great casinos that service California residents with some of the best casino games and bonuses found anywhere
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