Can You Bet On Sports Online In California
The 2021 PGA Tour season is underway following a 2020 campaign which saw phenomenal golf betting interest.
Based upon the various attempted proposals in the state, California sports betting would feature: Licensed gaming facilities could take live bets on sports. Online/mobile wagering may be off-limits, depending which body is overseeing regulations. Players wagering would have to be 21 or older as well as inside California’s borders to bet. Online sports betting is currently the only way to legally bet on sports in California. Sports bettors in the Golden State can find some of the best betting lines at these international betting sites, however, making there no need to travel outside the state to bet on sports. California Sports Betting Markets. Online sports betting is currently the only way to legally bet on sports in California. Sports bettors in the Golden State can find some of the best betting lines at these international betting sites, however, making there no need to travel outside the state to bet on sports. California Sports Betting Markets.
The PGA Tour was the first of the major North American sporting organizations to return to play last year. The added attention from sports fans and bettors led to the rapid addition of betting markets at most major sportsbooks.
This page will look at the various ways to bet on golf, which can be done for roughly 50 of 52 weeks in a given calendar year. We’ll highlight weekly golf betting odds and the top sites, and break down the many available betting markets. Finally, we discuss various strategies and areas of research when betting on a golf tournament, and spotlight 2021’s four scheduled majors.
Due to the nature of golf – including the impact of Mother Nature, extensive traveling, and course history – it’s a sport in which research can be used heavily to find the right player on the right week.
Golf betting odds this week
Best golf betting sites
How to bet on golf
Outrights and futures bets
Outright betting in golf is simply wagering on a specific player to win the tournament. Because of the difficulty of a player winning a tournament in fields that are often around 150, outright odds are much higher than someone betting on team sports is used to.
Strategy: Because the return on investment can be so high, you can bet on numerous players and still make a nice profit if one of your players wins. Betting on a couple players in each “tier” can be effective. For example, favorites (+2500 or lower), contenders (+2500 – +5000), longshots (+5000 or higher). Betting $10 on six players in that scenario would be just $60 invested. Even if you bet on a heavy favorite at +1000, he would win back $100 for a strong profit.
Top 5, 10, 20
A less risky version of outright betting is wagering on a player to finish in the top 5, 10 or 20 in a tournament, depending on what your sportsbook offers. While it doesn’t offer the high odds that outright betting does, it is much less volatile and rewards steady performances from your golfers.
Strategy: If you prefer betting on placement instead of outright, you’ll likely need a slightly larger bankroll to see decent profit. The market for placement betting is completely different than outright. You’re looking for more consistent golfers who may not have the firepower to win most weeks but provide steady results with a high percentage of made cuts.
Matchups
There are many forms of matchup betting on golf depending on your sportsbook.
Head-to-head: These can be week-long or single-round bets that put two players against each other with odds on who will post the better score. This provides a unique market where you can bet against a player you may be down on for the week compared to his pricing.
Nationality: Many sportsbooks will provide lines on which countryman will perform the best for the tournament. If you’re high on a certain player but don’t want to jump into an outright or top 5 bet, you can get decent value on a nationality bet depending on who is in the field.
3-Ball: An increasingly popular way to bet on golf because it provides a way to gamble on each round. 3-Ball betting typically uses the pairings in the tournament and gives odds on which player in the group will perform the best in the round. This can provide for entertaining viewing if you bet on a player in a featured group on TV.
First-round leader
Betting on the first-round leader is a niche market but seems to be growing. It is still not available on every sportsbook.
Strategy: It’s much easier to lead a single round than win an entire golf tournament, but odds for first-round leader mostly remains the same as outright odds. Keeping an eye on weather conditions is key to pick a player who tees off in calm conditions.
Live golf betting
Golf has live betting like most sports, except it allows you to put in much more research with ample time between rounds.
Strategy: Most live betting odds on the outright winner stay true to the leaderboard, but the market often still favors the well-known and highly ranked players. Taking a look at statistics and jumping on a player that is in contention but underperforming in a category he or she usually excels in can be a good strategy in live betting on golf.
Golf betting strategies
Bankroll management
Bankroll management can be tricky in golf due to the alarming potential of profit when outright betting. It’s important to stay reasonable and stick to a weekly limit on how much you bet on a tournament. Picking an outright winner is hard and you will often go weeks without getting a winner. But the profit of just one winner will typically make up for multiple weeks and more, especially if it wasn’t a heavy favorite. Pairing your outright bets with top 10 or top 20 bets is a good way to get some return on investment instead of going all-in on outright winners.
Injury reports
Injuries aren’t as common in golf as most sports, so there’s typically not much news on injuries most weeks. But there can be some withdrawals on Wednesday evenings or Thursday mornings, so it’s good to stay up-to-date on any lingering injuries that could come into play and ruin your bet.
Course form and recent form
Form will be talked about endlessly when taking in any content from golf betting experts. Not only is recent form important like it is in most sports, but the unique-to-golf course form is also a key factor. Finding players who perform well at a course in the past is an element that should always be considered when betting. Augusta National is a course that strongly favors course history due to its tricky nature, but an easier, simpler course like TPC Deere Run shouldn’t weigh course history as strongly.
Schedules
Golf requires a lot of traveling at times and has a very exhausting schedule at some points in the year. Keeping an eye on players traveling on short rest from overseas or someone who has played multiple weeks in a row can be a simple way to fade players who might be getting too much love from the casual eye.
Line movement
Most normal golf tournaments don’t have much line movement throughout the week leading up to the tournament, but some sportsbooks will have more favorable odds than others. If you see someone early in the week that might get a push to lower odds because of talk from the media or a storyline, it’s smart to jump on it quickly. Otherwise, it’s usually fine to take your time.
Situational betting
Golf has a lot of external factors to keep in mind each week. Weather is something you should always look at before betting. There are players who excel in easy conditions and there are those who do better when the wind is blowing and good scores are harder to come by. Getting ahead of the curve by checking the forecast and taking players who fit it is important. Motivating factors from week-to-week can also play a role – FedExCup points needed, a win to get a Masters invitation, local support etc.
Golf betting stats: Which ones matter?
Thanks to websites and podcasts specializing in golf betting content, knowing the golf stats that matter each week has gotten increasingly easier for bettors. But there’s still plenty of individual research to be done that can help you get ahead of the market on a player that might be peaking at the right time. Generally, the strokes gained statistics are the golden measure in golf. But certain courses will favor “strokes gained: off-the-tee,” certain courses will favor “strokes gained: approach” and certain courses will favor “strokes gained: putting.” Most courses will favor that statistic year-to-year, but it can change depending on weather and how the course is set up.
It is generally smarter to favor players who excel in ball striking statistics – driving and approach shots – due to their ability to run away with a tournament if they have a good putting week.
Golf majors: odds and trends
Masters Tournament
The 2021 Masters takes place April 8-11, returning to its regular position on the PGA Tour schedule. It is always held at Augusta National in Augusta, Georgia, and is one of the most famous courses in the world.
Recent winners’ odds: Dustin Johnson (2020): +800, Tiger Woods (2019): +1400, Patrick Reed (2018): +5000, Sergio Garcia (2017): +3000
The Masters favors course history more than any other event on the PGA Tour based on Data Golf’s course history tool. Creative ball-strikers excel, as evidenced by recent winners like Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson.
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship will run May 20-23 at Kiawah Golf Resort (South Course) on Kiawah Island, S.C.
Recent winners’ odds: Collin Morikawa 2020: +3000, Brooks Koepka (2019, 2018): +1100, +2000, Justin Thomas (2017): +3000.
The PGA Championship is typically the easiest setup of the four majors and the most similar to a regular PGA Tour setup. That means if conditions allow, the tournament favors long and high hitters. Rory McIlroy won the 2012 PGA Championship here at 13-under par.
US Open
The US Open is scheduled to return to its standard spot on the golf schedule from June 17-20. Torrey Pines (South) hosts the major for the first time since 2008, when Woods at minus-1 in a playoff.
Recent winners’ odds: Bryson DeChambeau (2020): +2500, Gary Woodland (2019): +7000, Brooks Koepka (2018, 2017): +2000, +4000.
The US Open is typically the toughest test of golf in the world each year. The USGA sets it up to ideally be a challenge to break par, which is often the case when looking at the winning score. Length and accuracy off the tee have been a key statistic in recent years as the courses have gotten longer.
The Open Championship
The Open Championship was canceled for 2020 but returns to the schedule for July 15-18. Royal St. George’s Golf Club in England will remain the host the 2021 Open Championship after losing the 2020 Open.
Recent winners’ odds: Shane Lowry (2019): +6600, Francesco Molinari (2018): +2500, Jordan Spieth (2017): +1400.
The Open Championship is always held at a classic links-style golf course that often has windy and tough conditions. If the weather is calm, players can go low and any style of player can win. Windy conditions favor solid ball strikers who can keep the ball low. It’s one of the few golf tournaments where long hitters don’t have much of an advantage.
In light of the Supreme Court decision, bettors everywhere want to know if sports betting is now legal in California. The true answer to this question is yes, it is now legal for the state of California to allow residents to bet on sports. But it is only possible right now through online offshore sportsbooks. For land-based and state-licensed sportsbooks, lawmakers will first have to legalize sports gambling and renegotiate the state-tribal compacts that are in place with Indian casinos. The state will also need to determine if card rooms will be able to accept sports wagers. In the meantime, residents can continue to use the legal California sports betting sites that are based offshore.
Is It Now Legal To Bet On Sports In California?
In light of the Supreme Court decision, bettors everywhere want to know if sports betting is now legal in California. The true answer to this question is yes, it is now legal for the state of California to allow residents to bet on sports. That being said, lawmakers will first have to legalize sports gambling and renegotiate the state-tribal compacts that are in place with Indian casinos. The state will also need to determine if card rooms will be able to accept sports wagers. In the meantime, residents can continue to use the legal California sports betting sites that are based offshore.
California is The Land of Sunshine and Opportunity, and residents of California have the opportunity to gamble at online sportsbooks without fear of prosecution. Californians have pretty easy access to land-based casino gaming, but online sports betting sites are so much more convenient than even a gaming site in your neighborhood that some Californians will always prefer Internet-based sports wagering.
Sports Betting Laws in California
The state of California doesn’t have any laws concerning Internet gambling at all, and it appears that sports wagers placed from within state borders are safe, as long as you are not running an online sportsbook, which would run afoul of existing federal law. You should have no concerns when it comes to legal California sports betting because there are currently no laws on the books. That could change in the future if lawmakers decide to introduce sports betting legislation. There have been some attempts in the past to legalize and regulate sports betting, but they have all failed. But that doesn’t mean that there won’t be more attempts in the future. For now though, there are no California sports betting laws that govern the industry or prevent bettors from wagering at offshore online sportsbooks.
The short answer is: “No.” Not only have there never been any arrests made in California for online gambling, the state’s penal code doesn’t cover Internet wagering at all, meaning there is no law on the books that California-based online gamblers can break. A recent change in the focus of the 1961 Federal Wire Act indicates that the US government is only interested in cracking down on providers of sports betting, not on California online sports bettors themselves.
Bovada is a legitimate and trusted sportsbook for California residents ready to begin betting on their favorite sports teams. The sports betting site offers a wide range of odds allowing Los Angeles Chargers fans a chance to bet on the game outcomes, point spread, or team and player stats. Players can place future bets which gives you a chance to predict how far a team will go in the postseason or you can use the live betting feature and bet on what will happen in the game while the game is in play.
BetOnline is another popular online offshore sportsbook that offers an easy way to bet on sports. Sports fans in California will enjoy the variety of wagering types to choose from on the site such as points spread, money lines, futures, and prop bets that take the betting experience to another level. With prop bets, bettors can place wagers on things like “what will be the first score of the game?” or “how many field goals will be kicked?”.
A secure sportsbook that is available in California and provides a legal platform for bettors to place wagers on sports is SportsBetting. As a Los Angeles Dodgers fan, betting on SportsBetting can be a lot of fun by betting on live games and placing bets like “Will this game go to extra innings?” or “Will the third batter of this inning strikeout?” while watching the game in real-time. There are also parlay bets that allow you to bet on multiple games and bet lines. MyBookie
MyBookie is another online offshore sports betting site for sports bettors in the state. The sportsbook provides odds on various teams and players of professional sports around the world. MyBookie offers a mobile version of the sportsbook that allows you to go out to eat or even to the game and still be able to place bets and make deposits on your phone. Players commonly deposit funds into their accounts by using e-checks, debit or credit cards, or cryptocurrencies.
Xbet is available for bettors in California when betting on the Golden State Warriors or any other teams. There are many NBA bet lines that cover the draft, regular season, and the playoffs. On top of that, the sportsbook also has international sports, NCAA football and basketball, entertainment, political, and horse racing odds on the site for you to enjoy. You can also place wagers on this wide range of events and games using a mobile device or tablet.
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How Federal Laws Inpact California Sports Betting
Federal laws impact legal California sports betting in many of the same ways that they effect other states. The law that once had the most influence on sports betting was the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA). PASPA made it illegal for state governments to establish land-based sportsbooks. The only exceptions were Nevada, Delaware, Montana, and Oregon which already had sportsbooks or sports lotteries. On May 14th, 2018, the federal law was ruled unconstitutional and the federal ban on sports wagering came to an end.
The Wire Act of 1961 was one of the first federal sports betting laws but it still has implications today. The law makes it illegal for gambling operators to use wire communications to transmit interstate sports wagers and information related to bets. Though this only included telephones and telegraphs during its enactment, the Wire Act now extends to sports wagers placed over the internet. However, like most laws, it only applies to US-based operators, not casual bettors. This means that although it seems like online sports betting is illegal, it doesn’t actually do anything to prevent you from making your bets on an online offshore sportsbook.
The Unlawful Internet and Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) is one of the most misleading federal laws. The name suggests that internet gambling is illegal, but the law does not prohibit any type of gambling. The UIGEA is a banking regulation that imposes special rules for payment processors and banks that handle online gambling transactions. The law is not directed toward bettors no matter how you look at it, and it only effects sports bettors by making some deposit options less reliable than others - i.e. credit cards. The best way to get around this law legally is by using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum.
The legal sports betting age in California is either 18 or 21. As there are no land-based sportsbooks in C.A., online sports betting sites are your best bet. Online sportsbooks will often have their own age requirements – accepting bettors as early as 18 years old – which is perfect for California residents. Always wait until you are of legal sports betting age and verify the requirements before visiting an establishment. Underage gambling is a risk that you should not take, unless you want your account to be suspended or terminated.
One of the most important aspects of online sports betting is being able to make legal deposits and withdrawals. Legal California sports betting sites will always offer several convenient methods that bettors can use to move money around their accounts. Bitcoin is the best banking method that sports fans can use. The digital currency is decentralized, meaning that there is no central bank to decline your payment. Transactions are 100% guaranteed, whether making a deposit or requesting a withdrawal. Online sports betting sites do not charge fees for using bitcoin, and deposits are applied to our account almost instantly. When requesting a withdrawal, your funds will reach your wallet in as little as 5 hours.
Other legal deposit methods include checks, bank wire transfers, and gift cards. You can learn more about the banking options that specific sites provide by reading our legal online sportsbook reviews.
How Can I Tell If An Online Book Is Legal and Regulated?
Bet On Sports Online Wager
All legal California sports betting sites will have their credentials outlined on the site. Many times, there will be certification badges at the bottom of the home page, or, you can find information in the “About Us” section. You may also find regulatory details within the site’s terms and conditions.
Are Mobile Sports Betting Apps Available in California?
Mobile sports betting apps are legal in California, with many residents preferring this flexible option while they are on the go. Online sportsbooks will offer a mobile platform that allows you to take your sportsbook to the bar, the office, a game, or anywhere else. You have access to the same wide selection of sports and wager types that you would from the desktop site. Instead of having to download a separate app, you can visit the online sports betting site from the browser on your smartphone or tablet and be directed to their responsive website. The mobile-optimized sportsbook saves you the time and space of having to download a traditional app.
Is It Legal To Bet On Live Games In California?
Live betting is one of the most exciting features provided by online sportsbooks- and it is completely legal. You can watch major sporting events like the NBA Playoffs and bet live on Golden State or any of your other favorite teams. Live betting odds are available throughout the game and you can bet props, moneylines, and totals. When you want the most interactive sports betting experience, wager on live betting odds.
Can You Legally Bet On Politics In California?
Legal California sports betting sites offer something for everyone, including entertainment and political betting odds. The political betting industry may see the most action near election time, but you can start betting on United States and European political events before votes are cast. In the Props & Futures section, you will find a wide selection of betting odds including who will win the Presidential Election, which political party will take office, and much more.
Pro and College Teams in California to Bet On
Legal California sports betting action is exciting because there are more pro and college teams to bet on than just about anywhere else. The Golden State has long been considered a sports mecca, and residents of the state will not be disappointed when they explore the different California teams to bet on at online sportsbooks. If we were to provide a full list it would be 20 + teams long, so we will provide you with some of the most popular CA teams to bet on.
College
- UCLA Bruins
- USC Trojans
- Stanford Cardinal
- UC Berkeley Golden Bears
Professional
Can You Legally Bet On Sports Online In California
- Anaheim Ducks (NHL)
- Golden State Warriors (NBA)
- LA Chargers (NFL)
- LA Lakers (NBA)
- Oakland A's (MLB)
- Oakland Raiders (NFL)
- San Diego Padres (MLB)
- San Francisco 49'ers (NFL)
- San Francisco Giants (MLB)