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California still hasn’t joined the short list of states that have legalized real-money online casinos.
But luckily, you can still play casino games online in the Golden State for real cash prizes.
While you can’t bet real money on California online casinos, you can play at Sweepstakes and Social Casinos.
At these sites, you can play with digital tokens commonly known as Gold Coins (GC), which have no real-world value, or Sweeps Coins (SC), which you can redeem for real prizes, including cash.
Below, we’re going to go over what Sweepstakes and Social casinos are, how they operate, and how you can cash out your SC via PayPal, credit card, or your bank account.
So, keep reading to learn more about the laws and regulations of online gambling in California.
Here, you’ll find the best online casinos California has to offer, the most generous sign-up bonuses, and our favorite games.
Is It Legal To Play Online In California?
If you are at least 18 years old and in California, you can legally play at online Social and Sweepstakes casinos, which focus on entertainment and are free to use.
Though there have been several attempts to legalize online gambling in California, the propositions have not passed.
It might take years before regulators come to an agreement that will give bettors in the state the chance to play for real money online.
Until then, Sweepstakes and Social casino sites are your best (legal) bet.
Are California Sweepstakes Casinos Safe And Legit?
California online casinos are safe and legit, just make sure you’re using a trusted, licensed site, like the ones listed below.
So what exactly are Sweepstakes or Social online casinos?
These casino-style sites offer you a legal way to play your favorite games online without betting (or winning) any real money.
Instead, you play with Gold Coins just for fun, or Sweeps Coins which you can redeem for real prizes such as cash, gift cards, and more.
Keep in mind not all casinos offer their full libraries for free and might require you to buy tokens to access certain games.
You can purchase Gold Coins but you can’t convert them into prizes.
However, you cannot buy Sweeps Coins – you can only win them or receive them for free as bonuses – but you can redeem them for real money prizes.
And because these Sweepstakes casinos legally can’t allow you to purchase SC, you often get a no deposit SC coins bonus when you open a new account!
This means you can start playing free casino games right away without spending any real cash.
Every casino has different rules and conditions, and unique names for their digital tokens, so make sure you read the small print carefully before you start playing.
The terms for cashing in SC can also vary, as each casino has its requirements for playthrough, minimum withdrawals, and the types of prizes you can claim.
Best Online Casinos In California
The best Social and Sweepstakes Casinos in CA offer slots, and some classic card and table games, as well as welcome bonuses for new users, special offers, promos, and more.
Because there’s such a great selection, it’s not easy to choose which casino to sign up for.
So we’ve listed our favorite online casinos in California and why we love them in the table below.
We hope this will make it easier for you to pick the best one according to your preferences.
And, if you can’t choose, why not try them all?
| Online Casino | Best For | Play Link |
| McLuck Casino | McLuck is best for its relatively low minimum requirement to redeem SC for gift cards. We also love their loyalty program, which offers great perks and prizes. | Play Now |
| Fortune Coins | Fortune Coins is best for its welcome bonus of 1,000 Fortune Coins (their version of SC) plus 360,000 GC. Their frequent promos and bonuses keep players coming back! | Play Now |
| Stake.US Casino | Stake.US is best for accepting payments and processing cash prizes in cryptocurrencies. We’re big fans of its social vibe and live casino, which bring the online experience to life. | Play Now |
| Wow Vegas Casino | Wow Vegas is best for its huge selection of games and highly-rated, intuitive website. Their VIP program will make you feel like a star as you rise through the ranks and unlock special rewards. | Play Now |
| High 5 Casino | High 5 is best for its huge variety of games, including live dealer games and all your favorite slots. We love the extra perks you get from Diamonds and the Boost on Demand feature to expand gameplay and winnings. | Play Now |
| Pulsz Casino | Pulsz is best for its exclusive bingo and table games, including blackjack and poker, and its huge selection of slots. They also have frequent promos, prizes, and perks through their loyalty program. | Play Now |
| Funrize Casino | Funrize is best for its generous welcome bonus of 125,000 GC (known as Tournament Coins), but it’s their focus on socializing that makes this online casino stand out. | Play Now |
| Funzpoints Casino | Funzpoints is best for its customer service and easy-to-navigate site with fun graphics. Premium players can enjoy a wider selection of slot games. | Play Now |
| Golden Hearts Games | Golden Hearts is best for being a charity casino that donates a percentage of GC sales to worthy causes, and rewards players with cash prizes for their donations. It’s a win-win! | Play Now |
McLuck Casino
One of our favorite online Sweepstakes casinos in California, McLuck offers players over 400 slot games to choose from, designed by some of the top providers in the business.
If you still haven’t signed up, their welcome bonus includes 7,500 GC plus 2.5 free SC.
You need at least 75 SC in your account to redeem cash, and only 10 SC for gift cards. Winnings only need a 1x playthrough to be redeemed.
There are plenty of ways to earn both GC and SC with McLuck, as they offer daily login bonuses, progressive jackpots, weekly tournaments, frequent social media competitions, leaderboards, free spins, and lots more.
Fortune Coins Casino
This highly-rated online casino has over 200 slot games and a colorful, user-friendly website that seamlessly adapts to your mobile device.
There are no table games available but you can play fish games, keno, and a few card games.
Fortune Coins casino also boasts new weekly games, progressive jackpots, daily login bonuses, a referral program, frequent promos, social media competitions, and many other ways to win more GC and SC.
Stake.US Casino
Branded as America’s social casino, Stake has an easy-to-use website and a great variety of games from some of the biggest names in the industry.
Stake Cash (their version of SC) can be redeemed for prizes in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin.
Or you can cash it in for gift cards and merchandise. Stake Cash requires a 3x playthrough before it can be redeemed.
Their sign-up bonus is generous with 250,000 GC and 25 in Stake Cash, and they offer regular promos like weekly raffles, daily sign-in bonuses, and frequent challenges like races and slot battles for you to earn even more.
Wow Vegas Casino
Wow Vegas is a Vegas-style social casino with a sleek, sophisticated website optimized for mobile use.
With over 700 slots and new games added to their library weekly, there is plenty on offer for you to explore and enjoy.
When you register as a new player, you’ll get 4.5 free SC plus great deals on buying WOW Coins (GC). You must collect at least 100 SC with a 1x playthrough to cash out.
High 5 Casino
One of the top social casinos in California, High 5 Casino offers over 800 slots, tables, and live dealer games.
Their signup bonus includes 5 free SC, 250 GC, and 600 Diamonds, which you can use to maximize your gameplay and increase your chances of winning big.
High 5 Casino’s Boost on Demand feature allows players to choose when to boost their gameplay to win even bigger prizes.
You will need to accumulate at least 100 SC with a 1x playthrough before you can redeem your tokens for cash. You’ll need at least 50 SC for a gift card.
Pulsz Casino
With over 700 slot games and new games launched every week, Pulsz has an incredible selection on offer. They also have a small library of arcade games like keno and mines.
Their welcome bonus includes 5,000 free GC and 2.3 SC, and they also offer daily sign-in bonuses and social media promos.
Any purchase of GC will trigger bonus rounds and free spins, hide ads, and unlock exclusive games and scratchcards.
Registered users can also accumulate VIP points to unlock special bonuses and games, ad-free play, and more.
Funrize Casino
A California Sweepstakes casino focused on the social aspects of gambling through peer sessions, Funrize Casino has a great website and good live chat options for easy access to customer service.
Once you’ve signed up, you can choose to play in either Tournament Mode, which uses Tournament Coins (free gameplay, equivalent to GC), or Promotional Mode, which uses Promotional Coins (equivalent to SC) that can be redeemed for real prizes.
They do have a mobile app but gameplay on the website is better, even on a mobile device. You can choose from a wide array of slot games and fish games.
Funzpoints Casino
With Funzpoints, users can enjoy two different play modes: Standard Play, which is free, or Premium Play, which has a larger selection of games but requires you to bet your SC.
The option to easily switch back and forth between Standard and Premium Play means you have full control of how you spend your tokens.
When you first sign up for a new account, you will be awarded 250 Funzpoints or $2.50 in SC.
You can also win golden tickets to participate in the daily jackpots and get free spins on the bonus wheel multiple times a day.
Golden Hearts Games
Golden Hearts, a digital charitable promotional games company and “the world’s first charity casino”, works with over 50,000 non-profits all over the country through their own Philanthropic Partner Coalition.
As a welcome bonus, you will get 500 Golden Hearts Coins (GC) instantly credited to your account.
If you donate to a charity, you can also claim offers like a donation match or bonus coins.
Users can also play for SC, which can be redeemed for cash and other prizes.
Golden Hearts also has frequent promotions and free daily spins. They have a nice selection of slots, fish games, and table games like bingo and poker.
Worst Online Casinos In California
If you’re not sure if a casino website is safe or not, check whether it has a valid license and registration that allows it to legally operate in California.
There are plenty of off-shore online casinos out there with incredible bonuses and prizes, but be careful with these sites.
If anything goes wrong –if the games are rigged, your information is stolen, or the rules for cashing in your SC are absurd– you have no legal recourse to fight back.
We want to make sure you keep your personal data and money safe when playing online, so we suggest staying away from online casino sites such as Riversweeps Casino and VegasX.
Benefits Of Playing At California Online Casinos
One of the best things about playing at California online casinos is you can enjoy your favorite table and card games for free.
You don’t have the pressure of betting or risking real money.
You don’t have to spend anything to enjoy the social casino games. All you have to do is sign up and claim the daily login bonuses.
Free SC On Sign-up
Like real-money online casinos, Social and Sweepstakes casinos offer new users sign-up bonuses.
Unlike real-money casinos, you will get no deposit Gold Coins or Sweeps Coins instead of free money.
Don’t forget that your SC can be redeemed for real prizes including cash, so a welcome bonus of free SC is nothing to scoff at!
Most casinos will also give you free SC when you purchase GC, so take a look at what offers are available for the purchase of tokens.
Daily Login Bonuses
Most casinos also offer daily login bonuses, so all you have to do to earn more coins is sign into your account once a day.
Some casinos have weekly offers as well, so make sure you check out their promotions page to see what else you can claim!
Wide Variety Of Sweepstakes Slots
Slots are, by far, the most popular games at any type of casino, whether it’s land-based or online. And Sweepstakes casinos are no different.
You can play hundreds of slot games at California online casinos, made by some of the best developers in the industry.
You’ll find favorites such as 88 Fortunes, Gates Of Olympus, and Cleopatra.
Fish Table Games
Besides classic casino games like poker, slots, blackjack, and roulette, you can also play skill-based games like online fish table games, crash games, mines games, and more.
Fish table games, where players shoot at fish and other sea creatures with guns, harpoons, or cannons, are becoming increasingly popular.
California Online Sweepstakes casinos are catering to this trend.
Some of the most popular online fish table games are Fish Catch, Crab King, and Fu Fish.
Real Money Prizes
Because California online casinos don’t allow players to bet (or win) real money, the only legal way to win real cash is by scoring enough SC and redeeming it for prizes, including cash, gift cards to restaurants and retailers, and merchandise.
Although each casino has different payment methods, players can usually buy GC with bank cards, online banking, e-wallets like PayPal, Cash App, Apple Pay, Skrill, and more.
To redeem SC for cash, you may have to upload a bank statement or proof of address.
Cash prizes can be redeemed through many of the same payment methods available for purchase.
Just read the T&Cs carefully as most casinos require you to accumulate a minimum amount of SC and playthrough before you can cash out.
California Online Casinos VS. Physical Casinos
We can’t deny the allure of physical casinos, which offer a complete experience for players looking to socialize and hang out with other bettors in a lively and exciting atmosphere.
With a wide selection of racinos, tribal casinos, and traditional retail casinos, California offers gamblers plenty of choices to play their favorite games in person.
Pechanga Resort
The Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula is one of the largest and highest-rated land-based casinos in the state. Located at a 4-star resort between Los Angeles and San Diego, they offer frequent promos like resort credits and discounts, weekly prize draws, and amazing perks for members of their rewards program.
Agua Caliente Spa Resort
Located in Palm Springs, Agua Caliente Spa Resort Casino offers a luxurious experience for gamblers who want to bet big and win big. Operating 24/7, Agua Caliente has impressive giveaways and bonuses, incredible prizes, live poker tournaments, and exclusive rewards for their loyalty club members.
They have two other locations at Rancho Mirage and Cathedral City, each one offering the same level of fun, five-star service, and amazing promos.
Sycuan Casino Resort
Guests at the Sycuan Casino Resort can access a huge range of promos, prizes, and the chance to win big just by using the casino’s rewards club card to play their favorite games.
Conveniently located near downtown San Diego, this luxury resort and spa has a seemingly endless rotation of weekly and seasonal promotions that will have everyone feeling like a winner.
But going to a brick-and-mortar casino isn’t always easy or feasible, and it’s usually not cheap.
While online casinos can be accessed from the comfort of your own home, and also tend to offer lower minimum wagers, higher returns, and more frequent promos and bonuses.
DFS & Lotteries In California
With one of the largest lotteries in the country, California residents can win huge jackpots, but you can only purchase tickets in retail establishments and not online.
There are also plenty of horse racing tracks all over the state, and you can legally bet on horse races online through licensed and regulated websites.
Regular sports betting is still illegal in California, and although Daily Fantasy Sports are unregulated, they’re in a legal gray zone.
Multiple DFS providers currently operate in the state, but as always, make sure you’re using a reputable brand that will protect your data and money.
How To Sign Up For California Online Casino
Signing up for Sweepstakes online casinos in California is free and straightforward.
To register for a new account at a California online casino, you will need to upload your ID, such as a valid driver’s license, to prove you are over 18 years old.
Some sites might ask you to upload a Social Security number or proof of address before you can complete your registration.
The process doesn’t take long, and don’t forget, you’ll be rewarded with free SC instantly to start playing!
Gambling Problem? Find out how to exclude yourself from casino gambling in California.