California Online Poker

California is the most populous US state. That also makes it the biggest US jurisdiction where you can play online poker.

There is no legal, regulated real money online poker in the state, so you cannot play on sites like PokerStars, GGPoker, or WSOP Online. While there have been efforts to modernize gambling laws, the situation is unlikely to change soon.

Thankfully, Californians interested in online poker are served by sweepstakes online poker sites where you can win real cash prizes. It means that, in California, you can find poker tournaments online every single day and compete with players across the United States. These sites operate legally and you can win prizes redeemable for real money playing online poker from your mobile phone or on desktop apps.

We recommend Clubs Poker for sweepstakes poker in California. It’s a new site that runs on modern software and has a smooth look and feel that is sure to resonate with players. It boasts features that many other platforms don’t have and offers an online poker experience that rivals the best online poker software in the world.

There are also entirely free-play poker sites that we recommend for beginners. These do not give you the chance of winning real money, but they are a useful tool to memorize the strength of hands or learning how betting works in poker games.

Can I Play Online Poker in California?

Yes, you can — and you have options! It all depends on whether you want to play for cash prizes or just play for free. Sweepstakes online poker sites offers players a chance to compete for cash prizes, and is what we recommend to players who want a true online poker experience with the chance to win prizes redeemable for real money.

Meanwhile, free-play sites offer the perfect training ground for new players — without spending any money.

There are also offshore and unregulated online poker sites, but pokerfuse does not recommend them.

The Best Online Poker Sites in California

For the best online poker experience in California, we recommend sweepstakes poker sites.

Sweepstakes poker is actually an umbrella term for two types of online poker sites allowed under sweepstakes law: traditional subscription poker and “modern” sweepstakes. Players can win for real money prizes under both systems.

With subscription sites, you can play for free or you can pay a subscription fee. This will give you access to bigger tournaments with real money cash prizes.

Under the modern sweepstakes model, players use real money to buy play tokens, often called Gold Coins, which can only be used on play-money games. Gold Coins have no monetary value. But when players do this, they are gifted another type of token — a Sweeps Coin. These are considered prize entries, and can be used to enter ring games and tournaments. Winnings from those games are prizes that you can redeem for real money.

We recommend Clubs Poker, an online poker site that follows the modern sweepstakes model. It legally operates under sweepstakes laws in California.

Here are short descriptions of three sweepstakes poker sites that players will find in California, with links provided to in-depth reviews for all three sites:

Clubs Poker

Clubs Poker is a new online poker site. It boasts many cool features, including bad beat jackpots, bomb pots, rabbit hunting, run it twice, and straddles. Many of these features aren’t on poker platforms that have been around for years. We expect Clubs Poker will grow to become the best room in the US.

Recreational players will be drawn to the platform, so we expect there will be plenty of soft games. Clubs Poker has bounty tournaments, sit-and-go (SNG) tournaments, and progressive knockout tournaments (PKOs). The platform is based in the US.

Check out our interview with the CEO of Clubs Poker if you want to learn more about the poker site.

Read our full review of Clubs Poker »

Stake.us Poker

Stake.us Poker is a social poker site with tournaments, ring games, sit & gos available for you to try. Popular poker variants include No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha and Pineapple Hold’em. Welcome bonuses are running for new players and poker promotions are also available.

Players can exchange their winnings for real money prizes on the site, but must be of 21 years or older to play on the site.

Read our full review of Stake.us Poker »

ClubWPT

ClubWPT uses a subscription-based model to offer online poker. For a monthly fee, players are given access to certain number of tournaments on a daily basis. It’s a more straightforward model that closely resembles California’s private cardrooms, which are discussed later in this guide.

The platform is exclusively focused on tournaments, which means players aren’t able to win real money prizes through ring games. But ClubWPT offers plenty of daily tournaments, which offer real money prizes and access to events on the World Poker Tour.

WPT Enterprises, which is based in Irvine, owns and operates the ClubWPT site. It also has the World Poker Tour, one of the largest and most popular online poker brands in the world.

Read our full review of ClubWPT »

Global Poker

The largest sweepstakes poker operator in the US is Global Poker. Its platform also follows the “modern” sweepstakes model, where players purchase play money tokens (aka Gold Coins) for use on social tables and receive Sweeps Coins as a gift to play at sweepstakes tables, through which players can earn cash prizes.

Global Poker hosts major tournament series every year, resulting in millions in guaranteed prizes for players. The site is operated by subsidiaries of VGW Holdings Limited, an Australian company.

Read our full review of Global Poker »

Free-Play Poker in California

Another option for playing online poker in California is to visit free-play poker sites. Some of the more popular sites are Zynga Poker, Replay Poker, and Governor of Poker.

PokerStars and WSOP, two of the biggest operators of real money online poker sites, offer free versions as well.

It’s important to remember that there is no way to win real money on free-play poker sites — players are there just for fun. Free-play sites are a great way for new players to learn things such as hand rankings, how to bet, and the overall flow of the game. But players on free-play sites don’t gain any insight into poker strategy because there isn’t any real money at stake.

Social media sites like Facebook also offer online poker games for free. There are also sites like Vegas Infinite, formerly PokerStars VR.

Real Money Online Poker in California

To be clear, you can win real cash prizes playing sweepstakes poker in California. But real money online poker sites like PokerStars and WSOP, where you can deposit and withdraw real money directly, are not currently available in the state — and likely won’t be for many years.

California is not a market where online poker operators are licensed and regulated by the state. Some examples of states that regulate the vertical and issue licenses include Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

That’s not to say lawmakers in California haven’t tried to set up a system like the aforementioned states — far from it. More than a dozen bills have been submitted in recent years, but all fell short in the California State Assembly.

Why? Well, there are many competing interests in the state. There are more than 80 private cardrooms and about the same number of tribal casinos in California. Over the years, the two sides have argued over tribal gaming exclusivity and other issues. Finding common ground has been difficult, which is the main reason why legislation has gone nowhere to date.

The most recent online poker bill was submitted during the 2017-2018 legislative session. AB 1677 would have taxed operators at a rate of 8.847% to 15%, depending on the operator’s gross gaming revenue. It died in committee, meeting the same fate as all previous legislation submitted up to that point.

Sites That Would Launch in California

California has about 39 million residents, making it the most populous US state. If the state did issue licenses and regulated real money online poker operators, that would be big news.

As a direct consequence, there would be an immediate push for the state to join the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), a multi-state gaming compact that allows operators to combine their player pools across its member states — Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, and West Virginia.

When operators are allowed to combine their player pools, players benefit. Such combinations create shared liquidity, which in turn leads to bigger prizes.

All four of the major online poker operators in the US — BetMGM, PokerStars, WSOP, and BetRivers Poker (currently only live in PA) — would want to launch in California. That’s especially the case if California joins MSIGA. But even without it, the market would be so big that it would attract multiple operators even if kept segregated from the rest of the USA.

Since there are no land-based commercial casinos in California, having a setup like Michigan or New Jersey — where operators agree to a partnership and are tethered to a land-based property — wouldn’t work in the Golden State. California could require operators to partner with a tribal casino, horse racetrack, or certain entities like a pro sports team or a stadium. The state could also issue standalone licenses to operators.

Should California lawmakers succeed in legalizing real money online poker, we project the following network setups in the Golden State:

Live Poker in California

If you’re interested in live poker, there are more than 80 cardrooms located throughout the state, and you likely have multiple options within driving distance. The cardrooms are legally allowed to operate because they don’t charge a rake for hosting poker games. Instead, players pay a fee to the house on a per-hand or per-hour basis.

All cardroom owners and employees must be licensed with the state. The cardrooms are regulated by the California Gambling Control Commission (CGCC).

More information on live poker in California can be found in our online guide, Poker in California.

The Biggest Private Cardrooms in California

According to the CCGC, these are the five biggest cardrooms in California, in terms of the number of tables available:

California Online Poker FAQ

Is online poker legal in California?

Yes! There are several options for playing online poker in the Golden State, all of which are legal under sweepstakes laws in California. We recommend playing on Clubs Poker.

Are there online tournaments in California?

Yes, Clubs Poker has tournaments every single day. Players will find several formats, including bounty tournaments, sit-and-go (SNG) tournaments, and progressive knockout tournaments (PKOs) on Clubs Poker.

Are there online ring games in California?

Yes, Clubs Poker offers ring games. Players must use Sweeps Coins to play in games that offer redeemable cash prizes.

What types of poker games are available online?

Clubs Poker has No-Limit Hold’em (NLH) and other variants, including Pot Limit Omaha (PLO), Omaha Hi-Lo, Seven Card Stud, HORSE, and 2-7 Draw.

Is PokerStars legal in California?

No. PokerStars operates in markets where it can legally do so, and California is not one of them. But if the state were to institute a regulated market for real money online poker, PokerStars would definitely be interested in launching there. Remember, California is the most populous US state — it has 39 million residents. However, Clubs Poker is a good alternative.

Can I play WSOP in California?

WSOP is not available for online play in California because of the state’s restrictions on online poker. However, you can play on Clubs Poker, which provides an engaging social experience and a variety of game options for all skill levels.

Can I play GGPoker in California?

Unfortunately, GGPoker is not available in California due to state regulations that prohibit online poker. However, you can play on Clubs Poker, a social poker platform that offers a variety of cash games and tournaments. Signing up is easy, and you’ll find a friendly community of players.

Can I play PokerStars in California?

PokerStars cannot operate in California due to local laws governing online gambling. Instead, you can join Clubs Poker, where you’ll enjoy a range of poker games in a relaxed environment. Clubs Poker is known for its welcoming community and fun events.

Can I play online poker on offshore sites?

Offshore poker sites are not recommended because they do not offer the same level of consumer protection as legal, regulated sites. Players are at risk of identity theft when they disclose their financial and personal information on offshore sites. There is no legal recourse to collect winnings owed by offshore sites. For this reason, federal officials have warned US citizens not to play on them.

Information on the dangers of US citizens gambling on illegal offshore sites and how to tell if a poker site is legal is available in this guide on Poker Shield.