Is Gambling Legal In California - Why Is There So Such Confusion?

Gambling laws can be a little confusing to visitors of California casinos, who maybe hear snippets of news from different sources and end up drawing the wrong conclusion. It's easily done. What are the facts surrounding the sunshine's state legal stance on casinos, is gambling legal in California?

Well to answer this question properly one has to look at the gaming laws as they currently stand otherwise in answering such a question as 'is gambling legal in California' the person looking for the answer could very easily be lead up the wrong road.

When looking at the state regulations on gambling it needs to be understood that there are 3 different classes of gaming.

Class 1 and Class 2 gaming is referred to as card games where there is no participation of a 'Bank' or a 'House', this is known as a non-bank game, with only players competing against each other. These 'No Bank' or No House' games are what one will regularly see in the numerous 'card rooms' throughout the state.

To make these card rooms sound more attractive and to glam them up, some of these establishments promote themselves as casinos, this is not correct and where the confusion comes from!

Casinos falls in to the next Class which will be covered shortly. It's strange that they should do such a thing when they don't even have any slot machines or any of the other style games one would expect. Anyhow back to the point at hand, Class 1 and Class 2 card room establishments are NOT casinos!

Class 3 gaming is gaming carried out in California on what would be considered as Indian reservations or California tribal casino.

Although no traditional craps or roulette is played, they do play their own versions with cards. These 'proper' casinos are normally in the southern part of California and carry all other Vegas style games one would expect, Blackjack, Baccarat, all of the different variants of poker as well as a huge variety of slot machines at ones disposal. Hopefully this clears the confusion and answers the question "Is gambling legal in California" it's amazing how people can twist things to suit their own ends!