California Roulette

Roulette in California California State is one of the places with more casinos with over one hundred of them across the state. The California state laws prohibit the playing of roulette in its casino. The casino owners developed a way for people to play roulette without breaking the. California is the nation's largest Indian gaming state with total revenues of $8 billion annually. There are 74 Indian gaming operations including 69 casinos and 5 mini-casinos. Southern California has 24 Indian casinos and Northern and Central California have 45. Five future casinos are seeking approvals.

Many different roulette variations have been invented over the years. Some variants offer mini wheels while others put multiple balls in play (online).

But as radical as these games sound, none of them are as different from the classic version as California roulette. The latter uses completely different equipment in some respects.

You can keep reading to find out more on California roulette’s odd features and if it’s worth playing. But first, you can check out why the Golden State offers a different version of roulette in the first place.

California’s Take on Roulette and Other Casino Games

If California tribal casinos and cardrooms could have their way, they’d just offer normal roulette games.

However, they can’t due to the state’s gambling laws. Games of skill are approved while anything that involves balls or dice aren’t.

Obviously roulette doesn’t make the cut. All of its outcomes are decided by a ball landing in a numbered pocket.

Here’s a full list of games that are banned in California:

• Fan tan
• Faro
• Hokey-pokey
• Lansquenet
• Monte
• Rondo
• Rouge et noire
• Roulette
• Seven-and-a-half
• Tan
• Twenty-one
• House-banked*

*Games with dice or cards.

If you’re wondering what some of these games are, then don’t feel bad. I’ve been writing about casino gambling for years have no idea how hokey-poker, lansquenet, and some of these other banned games work.

But if you can look past the games that probably died along with the Gold Rush, you’ll notice that roulette is the most-relevant exclusion.

Luckily, roulette aficionados caught a break in 2004. The state legislature ruled that a game called California roulette was illegal.

Roulette California Casinos

How Does California Roulette Work?

Is Roulette Legal In California

This roulette variation loosely resembles the classic version that’s offered in casinos. It features a normal roulette table and board.

However, the key difference is that the traditional wheel is replaced with a spinning deck of cards. Here are the characteristics of this setup:

• A spinning wooden wheel with slots that hold playing cards.
• 38 slots/cards on the wheel (meant to represent the American wheel).
• The cards alternate between black and red suits (like black/red pockets on regular wheel).
• Cards are also numbered 1-36, 0, and 00.

Other than the cards and funky looking wheel, California plays much like standard roulette. Each round starts with players putting their chips on the board.

The dealer will eventually spin the wheel and call out “no more bets.” When the wheel stops, a pointer will indicate the winning card.

The croupier takes this card out of the slot and shows the table. Winning cards feature both a number and a color (red/black).

What Are Your Chances of Winning with California Roulette?

Given that this game is based on American roulette, it has a 5.26% house edge. This figure comes from the wheel’s two house-friendly pockets, including zero and double zero. Here’s the math:

• 2 pockets that favor the house
• 38 total numbers
• 2 / 38 = 5.26%

You’ll be facing a 5.26% house advantage with almost every bet on the board. The only exception is the “basket” wager, which carries a 7.69% house edge.

This bet is made on 00, 0, 1, 2, and 3. You obviously want to keep your chips out of this area due to the high house advantage.

But even if you make regular wagers, a 5.26% casino edge is nothing to get excited about. Most games give you a much better chance to win than this.

However, you can improve your odds by choosing a game with the la partage rule. This rule allows you to get half of your money back (even-money wagers only) when the ball lands on zero or double zero.

Assuming la partage is in play, then the house edge is cut down to 2.63%. The catch is that you must place even-money wagers to take advantage.

By and large, though, most California roulette games feature an American wheel. The same is true of standard roulette games found in Vegas and Atlantic City.

Is Roulette Treated Unfairly in California?

Roulette did get some favoritism when the card-based version was approved in 2004. However, it’s still far from the darling among state politicians.

The list of approved and excluded games is somewhat confusing. Baccarat, a game that involves no more skill than roulette, is somehow approved.

The only real skill in baccarat is choosing the banker hand to win. As long as you do this, then you’re guaranteed to achieve the lowest house edge of 1.06%.

Roulette involves fairly similar strategy. If you choose the European or French version, then you’ll lower the house advantage to 2.70% and 1.35%, respectively.

I can understand how blackjack and Texas hold’em make the cut as skill games. However, baccarat is a perfect example of why roulette is treated unfairly.

The only solace is that politicians at least approve of California roulette. Otherwise, there’d be no way to legally enjoy this casino classic.

Pros of California Roulette

Since being introduced to tribal casinos, California roulette has been a pretty popular game. Here are some key reasons why it holds players’ attention.

Interesting Roulette Variation

If you’re a big roulette fan, you may feel like you’ve tried every variant. However, the California version brings something totally fresh to the table.

Rather than dealing with the same type of wheel that’s been used for centuries, you get to watch a spinning card holder. Results are determined by numbered cards, rather than numbered pockets.

No other roulette variation in the world has a setup that’s this different from the norm. Assuming you’re looking for something new, then you should appreciate this game.

Offers a Way for Californians to Enjoy Roulette

Roulette falls under the category of being a house-banked game with a ball. Therefore, it’s technically illegal in the Golden State.

However, California roulette was concocted as a means of getting around this law. It’s just different enough to qualify as a legal casino game.

State residents don’t have to travel to Nevada just to enjoy roulette. Instead, they can play something similar right in their backyard.

Sometimes Offers Favorable Odds

Some California roulette games feature the la partage rule. La partage allows you to get half of your even-money bets back if the ball stops on zero.

This rule lowers the house edge to 2.63%. While this isn’t the lowest house advantage in the casino, it still gives you a much stronger than to win than American roulette.

Cons of California Roulette

This game has a lot going for it. However, California also has some notable downsides that must be considered before you jump into the matter.

Doesn’t Satisfy Fans of Classic Roulette

Part of roulette’s charm is its classic feel. This game debuted in Paris in the late eighteenth century and has remained largely unchanged ever since.

California Gambling Roulette

Everything from the wheel’s polished wood to the sound of the rattling ball create something that’s totally unique from other games.

California roulette doesn’t have quite this same charm. In fact, the slotted piece of spinning wood looks downright ugly.

High House Edge in Most Cases

Some tribal casinos offer the la partage rule to draw true gamblers who want better odds. However, the average gambling establishment knows that they can draw players without this rule.

Most California roulette tables are based on the American wheel. As a result, they carry a high 5.26% house edge.

Only Available in California

California roulette is aptly named after the state where it was founded. This variation is still only available in the Golden State. Are you prepared to visit California just to play this game?

Odds are that you aren’t so infatuated with it to make a special trip. Realistically, you’ll only play this version if you live in or near the state.

Conclusion

California has strange gambling laws that only allow specific casino games. Roulette, unfortunately, isn’t one of the approved games.

However, it does exist in some legal form within the state. The legislature approved California roulette in 2004.

The California version offers a nice mix of the familiar and something new. Its board and rules are mostly the same as traditional roulette.

But the main difference is that it uses a slotted piece of wood as the wheel. Each slot represents a number and color.

The mechanics of California roulette hardly differ form the regular game. Only the equipment and look of the wheel differ.

You may really appreciate the chance to try a really unique roulette variant like this. You’ll especially feel this way if you’re tired of the classic version.

I certainly don’t recommend that you travel far just for this game. But you might consider trying it if you either live in/near California or will be vacationing there.

With any luck, you’ll find a version that features the la partage rule. This is preferable to playing the American version (5.26% house edge), because it only features a 2.63% house advantage.

On this page, we’ve compiled an in-depth summary of the current state of online gambling in CA, touching on various topics from the legality of gambling in the state to current regulatory debates. We’ve also compiled a list of safe and secure online casinos for California residents that you can view below, which have all been in business for 10+ years with no issues. If you’re looking for a legal, safe, and trusted California online casinos, you’re in luck!

What Are the Top Real Money Online Casinos in California?

California is known for being a trendsetter when it comes to most industries in the United States. It’s no surprise that legalized online gambling in California has grown far ahead of many other locations in the United States.

Why These CA Online Casinos Are The Best

They Offer Legal, Trusted Gambling Games to Residents and Visitors

The entire reason you’re probably here is to figure out which online casinos offer services to California residents. You’ve probably heard mixed answers about the legality of online gambling in California and, therefore, are not sure where you can and cannot play.

Because of that, the number one trait that makes California online casinos great is simply the fact that they offer services to California residents and visitors!

They Offer Games Californians Love to Play

What good is an online casino if it doesn’t have the games that Californians love to play? We’ll answer that question for you—it’s no good at all. The California online casinos that we’ve recommended offer an extremely wide variety of games, including favorites like blackjack, craps, roulette, three card poker, keno, slot machines, pai gow, sic bo, and more! If you’re looking for an easy way to play your favorite gambling games for real money in California, check out one of the recommended online casinos from the up-to-date list at the top of the page.

They Have Banking Options That Work Fast

Not every banking option works everywhere in the world. There are specific banking options that work better and faster for California residents. When we’re analyzing the quality of California online casinos, we ensure that they have several high-quality online casino banking options that work great for Californians.

While we don’t need tons of options, we do want to see at least a couple of great deposit options and a couple of great withdrawal options. You’re only going to need one, but we want options just so you have a better chance of seeing an option that is a great fit for you.

The Ultimate in Convenience

The entire point of using online casino sites is to provide convenience. California is an extremely spread out state in some areas, which means you may be hundreds of miles from the closest land-based casino. Additionally, that land-based casino might not offer the games you want to play. This is where online casinos come in. The idea of an online casino is to solve these problems and bring convenience to players across the state.

But this convenience goes away if the online gambling site doesn’t set things up properly. It should be super simple for you to create an account, make a deposit, find the games you like, play, and withdraw your winnings. If any of these things aren’t super simple, we’re not interested in the site and you won’t see those California online casinos recommended on this page.

Is Online Gambling Legal in California?

These days, the United States is one of the more confusing countries in the world when it comes to online gambling laws, with dozens of states having different rules and nuances of how they treat the topic. When it comes to California, it is perhaps the unique exception. There are currently no specific regulations that explicitly prohibit online gambling for residents of the state.

Because of this, Californians have little worry when it comes to playing online casino games, and currently, there are a number of trustworthy sites offering online casino games, sports betting, and poker across the state.

Unlike the state lottery, casinos that operate online are not subject to any sort of government scrutiny and, in many ways, can operate without fear of legal ramifications. For this reason, many bills have been proposed with the end goal of legalizing and regulating the online casino industry in the state.

Up to this point, however, any and all legislation aimed at legalizing and regulating online casinos has either stalled or has been flat-out rejected.

What Does This Mean for You?

There are two important takeaways you should get from this. One, it is not illegal for you to gamble online in California. You are free to play the games you want for real money without fear of negative repercussions. Two, the market is unregulated, which means that you will not have some of the added protections and oversight you would get in a regulated market.

This makes it that much more important that you choose to gamble online in California. The good news for you is that casinos make a lot of money. For them to continue making money, they have to continue having happy customers that are getting the entertainment value they desire. If they are not operating reputably and taking care of their customers, word will get out, and their cash cow is going to dry up. This places a huge incentive for online casinos in California to do things the right way as if they were being regulated.

Still, not every online casino follows that mindset. There are some California online casinos that only look at the short term and don’t care about their long-term sustainability. Because of this, it is also important that you take advantage of resources like this site to help you determine where the best casinos online are. If you want to ensure you’re betting with one of these reputable sites, stick to the recommended list we’ve provided at the top of the page.

The Future of Online Gambling in California

Despite what has been a mostly fruitless endeavor up to this point, experts believe that California is one of the next states that will establish legalized intrastate online casinos. Each year, it seems as though a larger number of bills for the complete and total legalization and regulation of online casinos gets put into circulation.

It is only a matter of time until one of them is signed into law. With that being said, online gambling sites are what many would consider to be the least of California’s governmental problems. With almost constant drought, severe debt, and many other issues on hand, it becomes difficult for activists to convince politicians and voters alike that establishing an online casino network is something that should be done soon. Many efforts have been made, and only few have succeeded.

The fact that the California government does not oversee them does not mean that the California online casinos which offer their games are not trustworthy. These casinos are regulated abroad and most are very reliable; you just have to sign up with time-tested ones with stellar reputations. To help you with choosing a legal CA online casino to play at, we have reviewed and researched dozens and recommend the best online casinos for California residents at the top of the page.

Legal Status of Brick and Mortar Casinos — California

In California, there are plenty of brick-and-mortar locations all over the state. One thing that all of these casinos have in common, however, is that they are all Native American-run and almost always located on Native American land. This sounds like a rather conservative policy for an otherwise liberal state, but the wider scope of gambling and casinos in California is not as restrictive as it may first appear. Of course, this all depends on where you reside in the United States.

The land-based casinos in California usually offer all the classic favorites such as slots, roulette, keno, baccarat, blackjack and the like.

Card rooms—as they are known in California—number in the tens of dozens and seem to be growing in number all the time. Poker is the dominant offering of California’s card rooms, however, blackjack variants and other more obscure games can be found being played as well. Basically, so long as the game is centered around playing cards, the rule of thumb is that it can likely be found at a card room. Naturally, some card rooms are better than others, and thus, the offering of one card room is never equal to that of another.

Additionally, if you play non-poker, gambling-type games in one of these card rooms, you’ll notice that the “bank” or who you are playing against will actually be another player at the table who is being paid to be there. It’s a confusing system and clearly a workaround for the state laws, but the outcome is the same. You are able to play your favorite games without fear of negative repercussions.

There are brick and mortar, Native American-run casinos all over the state, however, online gambling is still the easiest way to play any and all casino games at any time of day. When it comes down to it, someone who is looking to play casino games in California will either have to do so at CA online casinos or on Native American land. As you might have guessed, this predicament means that online casino play in California is quite widespread. It’s this common knowledge that is driving the push to legalize and regulate real money online casinos.

In recent years, pro-casino activists have lobbied politicians to promote and/or vote for bills to expand the way in which Californians can gamble at brick-and-mortar sites, but most of those efforts have so far been for naught. This is interesting, too, because California is historically one of the more liberal states in the country. Some of the largest land-based casinos currently operating in California include the following:

Local California Land Based Casinos

California Online Casinos and Gambling FAQ

• Abbreviation: CA
• State Motto: Eureka
• Capital City: Sacramento
• Population Estimate: 39.5 million (1st)
• Website: https://www.ca.gov/

California Roulette Casino

California Roulette With Cards

Most notably, the online casinos we recommend for California residents have all been operating for many years and have strong reputations to defend. In case of issues, they will resolve them immediately so that their stellar reputations are not sullied. These online casinos also use time-tested technology and reputable casino games, therefore, you can be sure that if you decide to make a deposit in one of these casinos, your depositing process will be safe and secure and the games you will play will be fair and give you an honest chance to win money!