California Online Poker

Californians can enjoy a wide range of poker tournaments and ring games at sites like Global Poker. You can play for fun with Gold Coins or use Sweeps Coins, which are redeemable for cash prizes if you win.

Traditional online poker rooms have not been legalized in the Golden State, so these social poker sites are popular among Californians. You can also play poker at tribal casinos and famous California cardrooms such as The Commerce Casino and The Gardens Casino.

This guide breaks down the various options available to California’s poker players. We will discuss the current legal situation and examine what the future might hold for online poker in California.

Can I play online poker in California?

You cannot play online poker for real money in California. However, social poker sites accept players in the Golden State.

These sites comply with sweepstakes regulations laid down by the California Department of Justice, along with federal regulations. That means you can play with Sweeps Coins and redeem them for cash prizes if you win.

Law	Land-based poker rooms operate under the authority of the Gambling Control Act (Chapter 867, statutes of 1997), but real money online casinos are not currently permitted
Launch date	TBD
Available games	You can play Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, and Crazy Pineapple at social poker rooms in California
Age to play	Californians must be 21 or older to play poker for real money
State population	39 million

The best online poker options in California

Traditional online poker sites like PokerStars are not currently permitted to accept players in California. However, we have identified two high-quality social poker sites that welcome players in the Golden State.

Global Poker

Global Poker is an established social poker site that accepts players from every state except Idaho, Michigan, Montana, and Washington. Californians can take part in ring games, SNGs, tournaments, and jackpot SNGs, with Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, and Crazy Pineapple all available.

The site is popular, so Global Poker offers strong liquidity and traffic. There are lots of useful filter tools, which make it easy to find games and tournaments that suit your playing preferences and budget. Prize redemptions are quick and efficient, too.

• Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, Crazy Pineapple supported
• Ring games, tournaments, SNGs, jackpot SNGs, bounty poker
• Blinds for ring games start at 0.05 SC/0.1 SC to 10 SC/20 SC
• Tournament buy-ins range from 550 Gold Coins to 11,000 Gold Coins and 0.11 Sweeps Coins to 218 Sweeps Coins, but larger tournaments are occasionally available
• Major weekly tournaments include Sunday Scrimmage, Golden Scrimmage, and Sunday Eleven
• Renowned annual tournaments include the Rattlesnake Open, Grizzly Games, The Goat, and the Eagle Cup

Clubs Poker

Clubs Poker has been welcoming poker players in California since launching in 2024. This modern, stylish social poker site offers a service similar to Global Poker, as you can take part in ring games and tournaments using either Gold Coins or Sweeps Coins.

If you complete a 1x playthrough requirement on at least 50 Sweeps Coins, you can redeem them for cash prizes. The rate is 1 Sweeps Coin to $1, and the funds will be transferred to your bank account within five days.

• Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi\Lo, 5 Card Omaha, 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo, 6 Card Omaha, Stud, Stud Hi/Lo, 2-7 Triple Draw, 2-7 Single Draw, and mixed games available
• Ring games, tournaments, SNGs, Spin & Go tournaments, progressive knockouts
• Blinds on ring games range from 5/10 Gold Coins and 0.005/0.001 Sweeps Coins to 250,000/500,000 Gold Coins and 10/20 Sweeps Coins
• Tournament buy-ins range from 0.5 Sweeps Coins to 55 Sweeps Coins and 550 Gold Coins to 55,000 Gold Coins
• Popular tournaments include Nightly 55, Daily 22, Nightly 22, and MixMaster

Can I play with players in other states?

Yes, you can play poker with players in other states. For example, Global Poker accepts players in 46 states, including California, and every Canadian province except Quebec.

That leaves the site with a large potential player pool, so it is generally easy to find a seat at a suitable table when you log in.

Nearby options

Real money online poker rooms are legal in neighboring Nevada. It is the only state west of the Mississippi River that has legalized traditional poker sites and apps.

If you drive from California to Nevada, you can play poker at WSOP Online. That is the only legal online poker room in the Silver State.

Potential online poker sites

If California legalizes online poker, the country’s leading poker sites will likely expand into the Golden State. These are the potential CA poker sites that could launch in the future.

PokerStars

PokerStars is the world’s most popular poker site, with more than 13 million customers on a global basis. Flutter Entertainment owns PokerStars, along with renowned sites like FanDuel and TVG.

This online poker room is live in Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and it would be a leading candidate to expand into the Golden State. PokerStars offers a superb user interface, a busy schedule of signature tournaments and cash games, and fast, reliable payouts, so it could emerge as the No. 1 online poker room in California.

WSOP Online

WSOP Online is the digital arm of the World Series of Poker series, which Caesars Entertainment hosts in Nevada each year. The site is already available in Nevada, New Jersey, and Michigan and pools players from all three states.

Caesars Entertainment has strong relationships with several influential tribes in California, so it is another leading candidate to run online poker in the state if the law changes.

BetMGM Poker

BetMGM Poker is a joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Entain, which runs the PartyPoker brand. The site runs on the PartyPoker US network, along with sister sites Borgata Poker and PartyPoker.

If California legalizes real money online poker rooms, BetMGM Poker is likely to bid for a license. Along with FanDuel and DraftKings, BetMGM is one of the country’s top three online gambling brands by market share, and it would not want to miss out on online poker in California.

Retail poker rooms in California

You can play poker at tribal casinos and commercial cardrooms in California. These are the five largest poker rooms in the Golden State.

The Commerce Casino & Hotel

The Commerce Casino is the world’s largest poker room. There are 210 poker tables spread across a 90,000 sq. ft. gaming floor, with “Cal games” and other card games available.

Cash games suit all budgets, with stakes ranging from $1/$2 to $400/$800 and a renowned high-stakes room. You will find a dazzling array of games, including Pineapple, Crazy Pineapple, Razz, and many more options.

Tournaments are hosted on a daily basis, often with 1,000 players. Famous names like Phil Ivey and Phil Hellmuth are frequent visitors, especially when signature events such as the World Poker Tour (WPT) Celebrity Invitational, WPT LA Poker Classic, and the California State Poker Championship are running at Commerce Casino.

• Address: 6131 Telegraph Road, Commerce, CA 90040
• Open 24/7
• Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, Pineapple, Crazy Pineapple, Razz, mixed games, 7 Card Stud, Lowball, Draw Poker, 5 Card Stud, Open-Face Chinese Poker available
• Always hosts $1/$2 No Limit Hold’em, $2/$3 No Limit Hold’em, $5/$5 No Limit Hold’em, $3/$5 No Limit Hold’em, and $5/$10 No Limit Hold’em, plus $4/$8 Limit Hold’em, $8/$16 Limit Hold’em, and $20/$40 Limit Hold’em
• Blinds can go up to $400/$800 on No Limit Hold’em games and mixed games, which have a minimum buy-in of $4,000
• There are several daily tournaments, including $150, $300, $400, and $600 No Limit Hold’em events
• Signature tournaments include the WPT LA Poker Classic, the Los Angeles Poker Open, the Commerce Hold’em Series, and the California State Poker Championship

Parkwest Bicycle Casino

This is another huge poker room, which hosts high-profile events such as the WPT Legends of Poker series, WPT Circuit events, and the Ladies International Poker Series.

Parkwest Bicycle Casino is even larger than Commerce Casino, with a 100,000 sq. ft. gaming space, although it does not pack in quite as many tables. There are 185 tables at the Bike, including “Cal games,” poker cash games, and daily tournaments.

• Address: 888 Bicycle Casino Drive, Bell Gardens, CA 90201
• Open 24/7
• Available games
• Always hosts $1/$2 No Limit Hold’em, $2/$3 No Limit Hold’em, plus $6/$12 Limit Hold’em, $8/$16 Limit Hold’em, $20/$40 Limit Hold’em, and $12/$24 Big O/Stud 8, with minimum buy-ins ranging from $10 to $400
• Lots of other stakes and games are available on a regular basis, too
• There are multiple daily No Limit Hold’em tournaments to suit most budgets
• Notable annual tournaments include WPT Legends of Poker series, WPT Circuit events, the Ladies International Poker Series, and the Big Poker Oktober event

The Gardens Casino

The Gardens Casino in Hawaiian Gardens has a 150,000 sq. ft. gaming space, featuring 110 tables. You can play cash games, daily tournaments, card games like blackjack and baccarat, and table poker games like 3 Card Poker and Pai Gow Poker.

High-profile events at The Gardens Casino include WPT Gardens Poker Championship and the WPT Gardens Poker Festival.

• Address: 11871 Carson St., Hawaiian Gardens, CA 90716
• Open 24/7
• Offers Hold’em, Omaha, Seven Card Stud, mixed games
• Always hosts $2/$3 No Limit Hold’em and $5/$5 No Limit Hold’em, plus $4/$8 Limit Hold’em and $8/$16 Limit Hold’em, with various other options available during busier hours
• Hosts No Limit Hold’em tournaments each day
• Major tournaments include WPT Gardens Poker Championship, the WPT Gardens Poker Festival, and the SoCal Fall Special

Hollywood Park Casino

This is yet another enormous poker room in the Los Angeles area, with more than 100 tables in a 100,000 sq. ft. gaming space.

You can play Hold’em and Omaha games, plus 7 Card Stud and mixed games. There are all the usual “Cal games,” including blackjack, baccarat, and poker-style games.

• Address: 3883 W. Century Blvd., Inglewood, CA 90303
• Open 24/7
• Hold’em, Omaha, 7 Card Stud, mixed games
• Always hosts $1/$2 No Limit Hold’em, $8/$16 Limit Hold’em, $4/$8 Limit 5 Card Omaha, and $20/$40 mixed games, with several additional options available at weekends and during the evenings
• There are one or two No Limit Hold’em tournaments per day at this poker room
• The $12,000 Friday Night Challenge is an eagerly anticipated event

Hustler Casino

This popular poker room is on the grounds of the old El Dorado Club, one of the original six card clubs in Gardena. Late owner Larry Flynt helped put the poker room at Hustler Casino on the map, as he presided over high-profile 7 Card Stud games.

Hustler Casino now has more than 70 tables, making it one of the five largest cardrooms in the state.

• Address: 1000 W. Redondo Beach Blvd., Gardena, CA 90247
• Open 24/7
• Hold’em, Omaha, mixed games available
• Always offers $1/$3 No Limit Hold’em, $2/$3 No Limit Hold’em, $5/$5 No Limit Hold’em, and $2/$5 No Limit Hold’em, plus $4/$8 Limit Hold’em, $8/$16 Limit Hold’em, and $6/$12 Limit 5 Card Omaha
• Daily tournaments
• Tournament series/notable annual tournaments (if any)

Underground poker rooms and unregulated poker sites in California

It is important to unlicensed poker rooms in California. Players can be arrested, fined up to $1,000, and put in jail for up to six months for participating in illegal gambling in the Golden State.

We also highly recommend steering clear of unregulated poker sites in California. These sites are based overseas and have no permission to operate in the United States, but they still try to target Californians.

Unfortunately, many American poker players and casino players have been scammed after registering with unlicensed gambling sites. You have no legal recourse if an unregulated site steals your money, as they do not fall under the jurisdiction of the state or federal government, so it is sensible to avoid these sites and play at social online poker rooms instead.

Future outlook for online poker in California

We expect to see online poker legalized in California, but it could take several years. In 2022, California voters rejected the chance to legalize online sports betting after the state’s powerful Native American tribes opposed the plans.

However, the tribes now accept that there is an “urgency to move gaming online.” They believe online sports betting will be legalized first, followed by online casinos and poker rooms.

The country’s largest online gambling operators, including FanDuel, have now accepted that “tribal sovereignty around gaming is sacrosanct.” As such, the tribes are highly likely to control California’s regulated online poker market if it materializes, but they could host sites like PokerStars and WSOP Online on their master gaming licenses.