California still does not have legal sportsbook apps for traditional sports betting. However, residents do have other legal gambling options, including approved horse racing betting apps, the state lottery, tribal casinos, cardrooms, and certain prediction market platforms that operate separately from sportsbooks.
California residents do have some legal betting-style options. Horse racing betting is legal through approved advance deposit wagering apps, and prediction market apps may also be available as a separate category. These are not the same as legal California sportsbook apps, though.
Legal Betting Apps in California 2026
There are still no legal California sportsbook apps. If you are looking for FanDuel Sportsbook, DraftKings Sportsbook, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, or similar operators, they are not live in California for regular sports betting. California has not launched a regulated sports betting market, either online or retail.
Horse racing betting apps in California
Horse racing is the clearest legal app-based betting option in California. The California Horse Racing Board lists approved advance deposit wagering providers, including TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, WatchandWager, NYRA Bets, and OffTrackBetting.com. These are the betting apps and platforms California readers can most clearly use lawfully today for sports-related wagering.
Prediction market apps in California
Prediction market apps may be available to some California users, but they are not the same thing as legal California sportsbook apps.
Prediction market apps should be covered separately from sportsbooks. They are not California-licensed sportsbook apps, and they do not exist because California legalized sports betting. Instead, they fall under a separate federal event-contract framework that the CFTC says covers prediction markets, including sports-related event contracts.
Daily fantasy sports in California
This is now a much trickier category than it used to be. In July 2025, the California Department of Justice released a formal opinion concluding that California law prohibits the operation of daily fantasy sports games with players physically located in the state, regardless of where the operators or technology are based.
Online casinos in California
Online casino apps are not legal in California. The California Gambling Control Commission states that it does not issue, and has never issued, licenses to online casinos, and warns that any online casino claiming to be licensed by the Commission is illegal and unsafe.
Tribal casinos and cardrooms
California does have a large legal gambling market in person. Tribal casinos and cardrooms are both legal, but they are separate from online sports betting and separate from online casino apps. This is an important distinction, because many readers assume that a large casino market means sportsbook apps must also be legal. In California, that is not the case.
California Lottery Apps
The California Lottery is another legal gambling option in the state, although it is obviously very different from sportsbook betting or casino apps. It makes sense to mention it briefly in a broader California gambling guide, but not as part of a sportsbook comparison.
Teams & Events to Bet On in California
California has various professional and college teams in many different sports. The state has three NFL teams, three NBA teams, and five teams in MLB. There are also dozens of major NCAA Division I college programs within the state.
With only one piece of legislation so far on the November ballot, sports betting is unlikely to be available in California until at least 2023. Horse racing is currently the only sport legally available for wagering.
How to find the right betting app in California?
Look for these criteria:
- State license. The mobile app should be legal in the state of California.
- Bonus Offers for new customers and easy-to-understand terms and conditions.
- Competitive odds and betting features, such as in-game betting and live streaming.
- 24/7 reliable customer support.
How to Download a Betting App in California
Although there are no legal sports betting apps in California, the process will be the same for every available app once legislation is passed. Downloading a sports betting app is a pretty simple process. Here are the steps players will need to follow:
- Sign up with a legal online sportsbook provider with a betting app for either Android or iOS mobile phones. The app may also be available in the App Store or Google Play Store
- Find the “download” link on the betting website or the store and click to install the app
- Follow the on-screen instructions, which will include providing information such as name, address, email address, and social security number
- Once the download is complete, the app can be opened from your device’s home screen
California Mobile Sports Betting FAQs
Is sports betting legal in California?
No. California still does not have legal sports betting or legal sportsbook apps.
What betting apps are legal in California right now?
The legal betting apps are horse racing apps approved through California’s advance deposit wagering framework, including TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, WatchandWager, NYRA Bets, and OffTrackBetting.com.
Is mobile betting legal in California?
Only betting on horse racing is legal in 2026.
Are California prediction market apps the same as sportsbook apps?
No. Prediction markets are a separate category and should not be presented as California sportsbook apps.
Is BetMGM app live in California?
No, BetMGM mobile sportsbook is not legal in California yet.