In, what to us here at Slots Play Casinos, is a very strange, even bizarre decision, the state of California has passed a law, and Governor Gavin Newsom has signed the law, making it illegal to operate a sweepstakes casino in the state.
We would like to make it clear at this point that all of the online casinos we recommend operate legally and are in no way, shape, or form affected by this new law.
Strange, Indeed
This law is strange to us for a few reasons. First, it continues to show how some interests have the ears of legislators and the governor while other, more benign interests, are demonized and cancelled. This refers, of course, to land-based casinos, which operate in the state of California while, with this new law that will go into effect on January 1st 2026, the state has made illegal casinos that are primarily free casinos where players play for fun.
A Coming Boon for Online Casinos?
Second, it puts the many legal online casinos in a better position to attract casino players. The dichotomy is between online and land-based. Sweepstakes casinos are online, as are the many online casinos we have reviewed and recommended.
The sweepstakes casinos have all of the advantages our recommended online casinos have in comparison to land-based casinos. Briefly, here are some of the advantages legal online casinos share with sweepstakes casinos when compared to land-based casinos:
- No travel costs.
- No waiting to play.
- More comfort.
- More convenient (by far)!
- No attempts to get you inebriated so you make gambling mistakes.
- Free play.
There are, of course, many other advantages of real money online casinos, such as deposit bonuses and free spins.
Who Most Wanted Sweepstakes Casinos Banned?
We cannot fully confirm this, but it is widely understood that the native-American Tribal casinos pushed hard for this legislation. It passed unanimously in both chambers of the California state legislature. The argument was that sweepstakes casinos siphon off casino players from the legal and regulated tribal land-based casinos.
This is, no doubt, true. Online casinos do the same. Online casinos are registered offshore, which means that they cannot be touched by the California political system.
Some say that offshore online casinos are not regulated. This is false. Every offshore entity that registers an online casino also regulates it. Furthermore, with thousands of legal online casinos, all online casinos are self-regulating to a large extent. Competition is very strong in the online casino market.
Social media also reveals glitches and gaps in the regulation of online casinos, so it is entirely disingenuous to say that online casinos are not regulated.
Who Will Benefit from the Ban?
Some contend that the ban will benefit land-based casinos. We have written about the slow weakening of land-based casinos for all of the reasons we listed above. In addition, land-based casinos pay out less than online casinos in slots, blackjack, and video poker, making them less attractive to players.
So, ironically enough, the biggest beneficiaries of this new sweepstakes casino law will likely be the top online casinos, such as the 30-some online casinos Slots Play Casinos recommends.
Slots Play Casinos Tells It Like It Is
We cover the online casino market primarily. We feel strongly that online casinos provide the best avenue for casino gaming. Online casinos, as we said, often pay quite a bit more in slots, blackjack, and video poker. In addition, online casino gaming is best suited for frequent, short sessions.
Online casinos do not “keep” players in tow for a few days at a time, where the players play on and on.
Online casinos also offer massive Welcome Bonuses and other deposit and sometimes no deposit bonuses.
Gamers can go from game to game at an online casino without giving up their “seat,” which, in fact, doesn’t even exist in cyberspace, which is the online casinos’ neighborhood.
If you are a sweepstakes casino player in California, Slots Play Casinos wants you to know that online casinos are open and ready to welcome you with open arms.
Slots Play Casinos is doing our utmost to bring news and good gaming to your attention. Our blog library is packed with helpful tips and information.
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