The online gambling scene in San Francisco is complex. However, you are in the right place as we break down the rules and regulations for iGaming in San Francisco, so you know what to expect when gambling online in the city.
Online Casinos
We begin with online casinos in San Francisco and there are a few things to consider when using online casinos in the city. The first thing to note is it is illegal to operate an online casino within the state of California. As San Francisco is in California, that means no online casinos can be operated from within the city. This could easily change soon as the debate continues surrounding the introduction of online casinos in California. The main reason there is a debate is because online casinos that are not operating in San Francisco, are accessible for people in the city. There are many legal online casinos that offer their services to people in California and you can even use bonus codes when signing up to claim a welcome bonus. Razed Casino is available to residents of San Francisco, and you can use a Razed promo code when creating a new account to access a welcome bonus. The main issue people have with offshore online casinos in San Francisco is that all the money being bet at these casinos is leaving the city and the state of California. That is revenue that could be used by the state to make improvements in San Francisco and the surrounding region.
Online Sportsbooks
Another form of iGaming is sports betting and unfortunately, this presents another issue for gamblers in San Francisco. In California, sports betting is illegal and as of July 2024, there are no signs this is going to change soon. There were attempts to legalize sports betting in California, but Prop 26 and Prop 27 failed to pass in 2022 and it appears nothing will happen until at least 2026. As the vote to legalize sports betting was placed in the hands of Californian residents in 2022 and they said no, there will need to be a change in the minds of people in the whole of the state for online sports betting to become legal in San Francisco.
Horse Racing and Fantasy Sports Betting
There is some good news regarding the current start of iGaming in San Francisco as both horse racing and fantasy sports betting are legal in California. You can have a wager on horse racing in San Francisco and participate in daily fantasy sports. There is also the option of using social casinos and these differ from regular online casinos because you can play for free and do not use real money when betting on the games.
If gambling does pass a vote in 2026 and become legal, it may begin with retail betting at land-based establishments. In terms of tourism, San Francisco is on the up when compared to 2021 but the numbers are still behind 2019. The introduction of a mega casino could lead to greater visitor numbers and provide a boost to the San Francsico tourism industry.
