Southern California Gambling Casinos
The Southern California Gaming Guide has announced the best casinos of its Reader’s Choice Awards 2019. The Best Casinos include first, second and third place winners in 17 categories. “California has the largest number of Tribal casinos in the country, and many of the best are in Southern California. For those casinos that over. Escape to the ultimate southern California entertainment destination with thrilling casino gaming, finely crafted cuisine and comfortable deluxe hotel accommodations at Barona Resort & Casino! Casino Insider is a weekly newsletter with all the best bets for food, entertainment and fun at Southern California’s casinos. It’s delivered to your inbox on Thursdays. There are four major casino regions in Southern California. They include Los Angeles County, San Diego County, Santa Barbara County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, and Imperial County. Los Angeles County has state-licensed poker cardrooms and no Indian Casinos. There are no cardrooms nor Indian casinos in Orange County.
Find detailed information on US casinos in every state - both land-based and online. Our experts have compiled information regarding states who legalized onlinecasinos and details about all legal USA online casinos. We have provided knowledge on gambling specifics for each state and what types of casinos are legal in each particular state. OnAmerican Casino Guide, you will find detailed lists of every US casino resort, riverboat casino and Indian casino in the country. Just choose a state from the below list of UScasinos-by-state in order to bring up detailed information on what types of casinos are available in the respective state, a list of all casinos within the state borders, and slot machine payback statistics for all US casinos.
Click here to see Maps of Casino Locations in Every U.S. State
Online gambling guide
The states who have now moved forward with legal online gambling are as follows:
Legal online casino:
- Delaware
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
Legal online poker:
- Nevada
- Delaware
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
Legal Online Sportsbooks:
Southern California Gambling Casinos Real Money
- Rhode Island
- West Virginia
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
USA online casinos
The online casino USA market is definitely starting to grow. The domino effect is taking place, now that states are seeing the financial benefits of legal online casinos. The laws surroundingUSA online casinos are specific to the state where they are licensed. Ultimately it is up to the state to decide whether or not to legalize online casinos. We have seen the biggest impact oflegalizing online casinos in the state of New Jersey thus far.
In New Jersey, the online casino market is flourishing. There is a long list of legal online casinos - all of which are remaining competitive in this flourishing market. The current list oflegal NJ Casinos are as follows:
- Golden Nugget
- Virgin Online Casino
- Caesars Casino Online
- Borgata Online
- Tropicana Online
- SugarHouse Online Casino
- Betfair NJ
- 888 NJ
- Pala Online Casino
- Harrah’s Online Casino
- Resorts Online Casino
- Mohegan Sun Online
- DraftKings Casino
- Party Casino
- PlayMGM
- Ocean Resort Online
- PokerStars NJ
- Hard Rock Online
- BetAmerica
- Unibet Casino
Legal online casino gambling was recently just passed through legislation in Pennsylvania, meaning online casinos are on their way in the Keystone State. The projected list of online casinos in Pennsylvania are as follows:
- Harrah’s
- Hollywood at Penn National
- Mount Airy
- Parx
- SugarHouse
- Valley Forge
- Presque Isle Downs
- Sands Bethlehem
- Stadium Park Philly Live! Casino
- Mohegan Sun Pocono
- MGM Resorts
- Golden Nugget NJ
The only other state in America with legal online casino gambling is in fact, Delaware, and just like the state’s size, the list is quite small. The legal online casinos inDelaware are as follows:
- Delaware Park Online
- Dover Downs
- Harrington Online
Here at American Casino Guide, we have thorough reviews on each legal online casino in the USA. In our comprehensive online casino reviews, you will find useful information about eachsite and how it affects you as a player. Review briefs on the game selections offered at each site along with some of their most popular game titles.Learn about the software providers and interface design of these sites as well as their mobile apps and how efficient each application runs. See the banking options allowed at each site so thatyou can be sure your preferred withdrawal and deposit methods are available on your favorite online casinos. And finally, see what kinds of casino bonuses and specialpromotions are being offered at these casinos so that you can achieve the maximum amount of free play on your favorite casino games!
American Casino Guide - land-based establishments
There are many different kinds of casinos throughout the United States. Depending on your location in the country, there could be a mix of the following casinos:
- Indian casinos
- Pari-mutuel casinos
- Land-based casinos
- Riverboat casinos
- Casino boats
Just choose a state from the American casino guide below, organized by state, and have a look at the detailed information of each. The information provided includes:
- List of every casino in the state
- Details about each casino
- Forms of casino gambling available in that state
- Slot machine payback statistics for all U.S. casinos
Each casino listing will explain its hours of operation, games offered, hotel rates, buffet prices, minimum gambling age, photos, maps, directions and more! You can even read and write your ownreview for each casino.
LISTED BELOW ARE LINKS TO ALL CASINOS IN EVERY STATE
Indian Casinos
Indian casinos, also known as Tribal casinos, are usually located on federally recognized Indian reservations. They range in size from small truck stops and convenience storesto some of the largest casinos in the country. At a small truck stop casino, you would generally find a handful of machines and these would be located in places such as Oklahoma or Wisconsin.Connecticut is home to one of the world’s largest casinos - Foxwoods Casino.
Different states have different legal agreements regarding Indian casinos. Depending on the agreement made, these Indian casinos can offer either Class II gaming or Class IIIgaming.
Class III (Class 3) gaming is what most people would describe as “normal” casino gaming. This is kind of casino gambling you would find at the majority of casinos in the country, such as LasVegas. Class III gaming involves the player playing against “the house” like in blackjack, craps, roulette, or any other table game, as well as slot machines.
Class II (Class 2) gaming, on the other hand, is slightly different. These are games where players compete against other players such as in poker and bingo. Over the years,casinos have found ways around this to offer other casino games similar to Class III games, however, adhering still to Class II rules. A great example of this would be Class II slot machinesthat closely resemble a normal, Class III machine but you will notice a small bingo card in the corner of the screen. So, in essence, you are actually playing a quicker version of virtual bingoagainst other players in the casino. The reels spin and you can see winning combinations. The reels, however, are “for entertainment purposes only” and your chances of winning are basedentirely on the bingo card in the corner.
Another example of Class II games would be player-banked table games where a player would compete against other players rather than against the casino. These look identical to traditional tablegames. The difference lays in the fact that players have to pay an ante of around $0.50-$1 per hand. In most cases there is someone who supplies the money to be the “bank” and the only moneythe casino receives is the ante made by each player.
Pari-Mutuel Casinos
Some states such as Arkansas or Delaware only allow casinos in pari-mutuel facilities. Pari-mutuel refers to locations with legalized wagering on horse or dog races; or inFlorida, jai-alai games. Since a vast majority of pari-mutuel facilities in the United States are racetracks, these types of casinos are often also known as “racinos,” a combination of thewords racetrack and casino.
Besides having legal on-property betting on horse racing, dog racing or jai-alai, these casinos are almost identical to most other land-based casinos. However, depending on the laws of thestates where they are located, some may not offer live table games, or may only have slot machines.
A somewhat new development at pari-mutuel facilities in states where traditional casino gambling is illegal is something called “historical racing machines.” These are considered Class IImachines similar to the bingo-based machines at many Indian casinos but instead of being based on a bingo card, the results of these games are based on racing results from previous horse races.
Land-Based Casinos
Land-based casinos refer to the typical casinos that people often think of when they think of a casino. An example of this would a popular casino in Las Vegas or Atlantic City. Casino gamblingwas legalized in Nevada in 1931 and it was the only state to offer that type of gambling until 1977 when New Jersey legalized casinos for its seaside resort town of Atlantic City. It is theseland-based, stand-alone, casinos that were the original forms of casinos until riverboat and Indian casinos came along in the 1990s.
Riverboat Casino Locations
Riverboat casinos are exactly what they sound like - casinos located inside riverboats. These are found in many states throughout the South and the Midwest such as Illinois,Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Mississippi. However, they have evolved over the years as the laws and regulations have been quite relaxed. Originally, they were required to leave the dock andcruise for several hours periodically throughout the day. In the beginning, some states even required the casinos to enact loss limits during these cruises.
Eventually, the loss limits were lifted, as were the requirements for them to cruise periodically, and they began operations constantly docked on the river. Some states later allowed thecasinos to be built on floating barges in man-made lagoons fed from the rivers. That is where most of the states are now, however some states such as Mississippi have now allowed their“riverboat” casinos to operate on land. As much as that does not make sense, the rules still require these facilities to be built within a certain distance from the water.
Southern California is one of the most unique regions in the entire country, featuring some of America’s most famous cities and most iconic tourist destinations. As it happens, it’s also a hotspot for gambling resorts and other activities. Below we will explore the types of gambling you can enjoy, and where you can do so, when you visit Southern California.
Southern California casinos are located in Los Angeles, Orange, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Imperial, San Diego, Riverside, and San Bernandino counties.
Southern California Card Rooms
Card rooms in California are the only place you can play legal poker in person, aside from playing small games on private property. This is because players technically wager against one another. The dealer rotates after every hand. Card rooms themselves make a profit by taking a small fee from each person who participates.
Southern California Gambling Casinos Sports Betting
Card rooms are excellent opportunities to either show off your poker skills or hone them even further. Some poker rooms are better for beginners and draw in crowds from all around the state. Others cater more to players with skill and may host a variety of professional tournaments. For instance, the Bike is a Southern California card room that sometimes doubles as a stop for the World Series of Poker.
Card rooms feature tables with a variety of buy-in limits and pool sizes.
Where To Play
Here are some of the top Southern California card rooms you can check out:
The Bicycle Hotel And Casino
This is arguably the most famous California card room thanks to its brush-ups with law enforcement over the years. These days, “the Bike” is a legit establishment that includes tons of poker games, plus a plethora of Cal Games with dramatically varying limits. Legends of Poker, a tournament series running since 1995, still runs here to this day. The Bike includes a seven-story hotel with live entertainment venues and other gaming opportunities.
Commerce Casino
The Commerce Casino is the largest card room in the entire world with over 270 poker tables. A 200-room hotel, an attached dining establishment, and more amenities make it a perfect place to stay to check out the greater Los Angeles area.
The casino also serves as the site for many major tournaments. Although it draws in plenty of skilled poker players, it’s also has a reputation for being beginner-friendly thanks to the poker-teaching classes it offers every week.
Hawaiian Gardens Casino
This casino is open 24 hours daily and includes over 150,000 ft.² of gaming space with over 220 tables. It includes a restaurant, cash games, massage services, auto shuffling machines, and cocktail services.
Hawaiian Gardens is an all-inclusive resort and casino rather than a dedicated poker room, but this makes it a great fit for general tourists or casino fans who also want to brush up on their poker skills while on vacation.
Southern California Indian Casinos
While most forms of gambling are illegal in California, tribal casinos are legal, and they remain havens of gambling activity. This is because tribal casinos are technically on Indian land instead of California state government property. As a result, state gambling legislation does not apply.
This allows Indian casinos to offer most major gambling activities you would expect from a classic casino and resort. Social games or gambling activities for money like bingo, lottery games, poker, slot machines, blackjack, and any other electronic games are all available in different amounts or in different themes depending on the resort in question. Games are either regulated by the National Indian Gaming Commission or by state authorities, depending on the type of game.
The tribal casino industry draws in over $8 billion of revenue every year, so each casino features its own theme and may add new areas or improvements from time to time. Southern California Indian casinos tend to emphasize LA or San Diego culture and iconography, featuring palm trees, movie imagery, and more. Lots of casinos emphasize their proximity to Hollywood and may include attached hotels. In this way, they serve as excellent resorts to stay at if you want to tour the greater SoCal area while also scratching your gambling itch.
Where To Play
Because of the generally warm and sunny weather that SoCal resorts enjoy, most Indian casinos in this region also feature pools or spas. Most SoCal resorts are around the LA, San Diego, or Riverside areas. Here are some of the best Southern California tribal casinos available:
Pechanga Resort Casino
This is actually the largest casino available in California, nearing 190,000 ft.² and including over 4,500 slot machines. There’s also a lot of other things to enjoy, including over 20 restaurants and bars, and a hotel that includes over 1,000 rooms. A 25,000 ft.² spa ensures you can relax as well as you can play while staying at this resort.
San Manuel Casino
This casino is currently set to add a new spa and hotel as early as 2021, and it’s one of the best resorts if you enjoy Asian or “Cal” games, like special variants of blackjack and other games. Several bars and restaurants are available in addition to its main gambling area.
Viejas Casino and Resort
Just 36 miles east of San Diego, this resort recently underwent remodeling in 2006 and now has a new high limit gaming area of over 15,000 ft.². It’s a great resort if you want to bet big and maybe win or lose it all. It also offers just about 1,000 slot machines, plus three hotels and a plethora of attached restaurants and bars.
Southern California Race Tracks
California has a particularly rich history with horse racing. There were even a few tracks open before full legalization in 1933. Horse race betting became legal when tracks came to a pari-mutuel business model, meaning that players wager against one another. The tracks themselves make a profit by taking a small cut of overall pools.
Where once there were many more racetracks throughout the state, now there are only four major racetracks at which major derbies and other races are held. However, Southern California arguably has the better part of this deal, as three of the four major tracks are located in the southern half of the state. This means horse racing enthusiasts have options within driving distance of one another, plus access to some of the best horse racing facilities in the state.
Where To Go
Below are some the best Southern California horse racing tracks around:
Santa Anita Park
This race track, opened in 1907, has played host to major racing legends including Seabiscuit. The one-mile natural dirt track and 9/1o of a mile turf course holds races through the early fall, winter, and spring seasons. More interestingly, the park is home to hillside turf course (one of the few you can find in the entire country). In 2007, the park also introduced a new cushion track with synthetic elements mixed with dirt. Tons of excellent facilities and amenities make it a great place to watch races for enthusiasts and tourists alike.
Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
Also called the Del Mar Fairgrounds, this 1936 race track now has a mile-long racecourse and has been the site of many high-stakes races, like the Pacific Classic Stakes in the 90s. The turf course was widened in 2014 and the main track was renovated for added cushioning for the horses’ safety. Tons of graded events are held every year, and the overall Fairgrounds host plenty of other entertainment venues and activities like a hat contest, Friday night concerts, and “Family Fun” days.
Los Alamitos Race Course
This track hosts both thoroughbred and Quarter Horse races. It also provides high-stakes Quarter Horse races with purses totaling over $1 million. Legally opened in 1951, it’s one of the most modern racecourses in existence. It doesn’t host as many graded events as the other tracks, but its proximity to Los Angeles makes it a popular tourist destination and a great place for horse racing enthusiasts to stop by while touring LA.
Southern California Gambling FAQ
It’s mostly because many famous Californian cities are located in the southern half of the state. Los Angeles and San Diego are just two of the biggest metropolitan areas in the Golden State, so they’re naturally good places for gambling sites to stake a claim.
Southern California Gambling Casinos Reopening
Technically, the legal gambling age is 18-years-old. However, you need to be 21-years-old to enter many Indian casinos because of alcohol restrictions.
Southern California Gambling Casinos For Real
No. Sports betting technically isn’t legal, although tribal casinos may bring brick-and-mortar sports betting to their casino locations in the next few years.
Not really, with the exception of daily fantasy sports and online horse race betting. The former is only technically legal because there isn’t a law explicitly forbidding it.
Southern California Gambling Casinos Tunica
Southern California Gambling Casinos Reopening
Most are regulated by state authorities, although tribal activities are regulated by the NIGC.