California sports betting and best DFS sites in 2025

If you're a resident or visitor in California, the prospect of betting on sports in the near future seems remote. With negotiations between the tribes and the state at a near-standstill, it most likely won't be until 2028 when residents of the state are able to vote again on sports betting. 

For now, daily fantasy sports sites and DFS apps are not outlawed. Recently, California Attorney General Rob Bonta declared DFS illegal, but Governor Gavin Newsom does not agree. For now, the fantasy industry isn't planning on ceasing operations in the state. California allows adults 18 and above to play DFS.

California Sports Betting News and Updates

Sports betting legalization is at a standstill in California as the state's tribes continue to oppose mobile sports betting. While several California lawmakers have tried to push forward bills for the legalization of in-person and mobile sports betting, both bills were shot down separately in the November 2022 election. The latest proposal in early 2025 came from DraftKings and FanDuel, who vowed to pay each of the state's 119 tribes a guaranteed minimum if sports betting were allowed. In the meantime, the earliest the state's residents could vote on a new measure would be 2026, but more likely 2028.

• 2018: The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was overturned, allowing states to legalize sports betting on their own. A proposal to get sports betting on the ballot for 2020 was shot down by the state's attorney general.
  
  
• 2019: Two sports betting bills were proposed by state representatives which required two-thirds support from the legislature to make the November 2020 ballot. Meanwhile, at least 18 California tribes filed a petition called the California Sports Wagering Regulation and Unlawful Gambling Enforcement Act, an attempt to get legal in-person sports betting on the ballot without having to go through the state general assembly.
  
  
• 2020: The COVID-19 shutdown slowed progress to a halt, but in December, the Tribes submitted 1.4 million signatures to the Secretary of State for their ballot initiative.
  
  
• 2021: Several California cities filed a ballot initiative that would've legalized mobile wagering to avoid the tribes forming a monopoly on sports betting (similar to the Seminole Tribe of Florida). The tribes eventually pushed against the initiative citing that the proposal would "undermine tribal rights and self-sufficiency, while exposing Californians to major new risks." Sports betting lawsuits followed, claiming the tribal efforts were illegal.
  
  
• 2022: Two sports betting bills made it to the 2022 ballot: one permitting in-person betting while the other would've allowed legal online wagering. Both the tribes and the mobile sports betting side ran campaigns to disparage the other's position, with negative ads being run throughout the state. In the end, both Propositions 26 and 27 were defeated on the ballot.
  
  
• 2023: The Pala Band of Mission Indians tried to file a sports betting initiative permitting online wagering. As of late October, there were two proposed ballot initiatives that would have given California Indian tribes exclusivity for both in-person and online sports betting.
  
  
• 2024: The latest initiative, co-sponsored by four of California's 110 tribes, was pulled before collecting any signatures. The earliest an initiative could be on the ballot is 2026 or more likely 2028.
  
  
• 2025: In April, DraftKings and FanDuel proposed a unified plan with the state's tribes to introduce online sports betting legally in California. Under this plan, each of California's 109 tribes would receive a guaranteed minimum payment annually. There have been no further updates since.

What is DFS? Can residents of California play on DFS sites/apps?

Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) gives users the opportunity to compete for prizes by creating and submitting lineups of athletes for a single day or week of games. DFS is focused on individual players and how they perform statistically as compared to the entire games themselves and their results. 

Unlike season-long leagues, DFS players can create entirely new rosters daily or weekly rather than managing relatively the same team over the course of the full season. Though there is current opposition from the state's attorney general and the long term future of daily fantasy sports in California is unclear, for now adults 18 and over are able to participate in DFS competitions.

Types of DFS contests

• 50/50 Contests – these are smaller competitions which are most beneficial for smaller players or those who are getting their feet wet with DFS. In a 50/50 contest, half the players in the competition will be declared winners and nearly double their entry fee. The other half will be declared losers and be awarded no prize money for the competition. Other variations include double-ups and head-to-head contests, where DFS users compete against less competition to win nearly double their entry fee.
  
  
• Tournaments – These are salary cap based competitions where users select a roster via salary cap to compete against a large quantity of competitors. The most experienced players know how to properly deviate their roster and avoid highly owned players by the public. The winners of these large competitions, who can take home in excess of $1 million for selected events, are generally those who are more seasoned DFS players. Users are allowed to submit more than one entry depending on the size of the competition.
  
  
• Pick'em Contests – These contests relate to selecting a player's statistical over or under that is determined by the DFS operator. A minimum of two players must be chosen depending on the rules of the contest, with the more players included, the higher the potential payout.
  
  
• Best Ball – Consider these competitions very similar to season-long fantasy leagues with one catch. Instead of the user submitting a starting lineup, Best Ball takes the best performances from that day or week's action and creates a team's lineup with those players. DFS users who play this popular format never have to worry about second-guessing themselves for questionable lineup decisions. As the season progresses, teams can advance through rounds, winning prize money in an attempt to capture the grand prize.

Breaking down the best DFS sites in California

California users have more than a number of DFS apps available for play in the state. Here are our preferred DFS sites in the state:

Underdog

Underdog Fantasy offers a bonus with code CBSSPORTS2. Once a new user registers in California, the welcome offer is Play $5, Get $100 in Bonus Entries upon depositing. Recently, Underdog converted to a peer-to-peer format in the state, meaning users are now competing against one another for a pooled prize. This "Champions" format is hoping to satisfy California officials who ruled that a pick'em format was illegal in the state.

Daily promos are also frequently available at Underdog. 

Sleeper

Using Sleeper promo code CBSSPORTS, new users will receive a 100% deposit match up to $100. While known more for hosting season-long fantasy leagues, Sleeper offers Sleeper Picks, Picks and Daily Draft as its most popular DFS formats. The first two formats offer users the ability to predict over or under for between two and eight players' statistical outcomes. Daily Draft combines a live draft format with Best Ball, where the highest scoring team based on statistical performances over that period is the winner.

DraftKings Pick6

With no promo code required, play $5 on any DraftKings Pick6 contest and receive $50 in bonus credits, an NBA Tip-Off Gimme Pick and daily Stat Slices. Pick 6 users will choose between two and six players and predict whether they will record "more" or "less" than their projected stat totals. The payout size depends on how many correct picks a user makes from the available sports, including: NFL, College Football, NBA, College Basketball, MLB, NHL, Golf, NASCAR, and MMA.

ParlayPlay

Using ParlayPlay promo code CBSSPORTS, ParlayPlay is offering new customers a deposit match up to $100 plus a free entry into any $5 contest. Among the newer DFS sites, there isn't the variety of contests offered compared to others. But ParlayPlay still offers an attractive slate including peer-to-peer play and season-long projection DFS contests.

Boom Fantasy

New customers using the Boom Fantasy promo code CBSSPORTS will receive a No Sweat credit up to $100 in site credit for their first entry. This offer is different than the competitors, who mostly rely on deposit matches for an introductory offer. Boom Fantasy pick'em contests are different in that they offer multipliers, similar to profit boosts, for potential payouts. SquadRide lets users choose up to three players to combine to pass certain statistical milestones (for example: yards, points, strikeouts), with payouts at each milestone.

California sports teams to follow

While California residents aren't allowed to bet on any of their favorite teams while in the state, here is a list of the 15 professional teams from the four major sports. Residents or visitors in the state are allowed to use players from any of these teams for DFS action. All of the 2025-26 championship odds mentioned are from DraftKings (updated 11/2/25) if you're in a legalized sports betting state and are interested in betting on a California-based team.

San Francisco 49ers (NFL) (+2000)

The 49ers were in the Super Bowl as recently as February 2024 but missed the playoffs the following season. With a return to health in the preseason by star running back Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco is poised for a return to the top of the NFC West in 2025.

Los Angeles Rams (NFL) (+2200)

With two star wide receivers in Puka Nacua and Davante Adams along with running back Kyren Williams, the Rams have playmakers galore on offense. If their defense, led by reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse, can be among the top half in the NFL, the Rams could be a threat to the NFC come playoff time.

Los Angeles Chargers (NFL) (+2800)

Coach Jim Harbaugh has an improving squad led by quarterback Justin Herbert and second year wide receiver Ladd McConkey. The Chargers' first round draft pick, running back Omarion Hampton, should give the offense a spark in what could be a promising 2025-26 season.

Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) (+1400)

The shocking trade for Luka Doncic last February injected life in what was a declining Lakers franchise. With LeBron James' long term status up in the air, Los Angeles is in a position to win now despite being in the highly competitive Western Conference.

Golden State Warriors (NBA) (+1800)

Guard Stephen Curry will go down as the greatest long-range shooter in the history of the league and with four NBA championships under his belt, he has nothing more to prove. His surrounding cast needs upgrades, so while Golden State is a playoff contender, they look to be a notch below the top teams in the West.

Los Angeles Clippers (NBA) (+2200)

If this was five years ago, the Kawhi Leonard-James Harden-Bradley Beal trio might be considered the best in the league. Instead, the Clippers are an aging roster with a likely second round playoff ceiling in the West.

Sacramento Kings (NBA) (+50000)

Led by star center Domantas Sabonis and guards Zach LaVine and Demar DeRozan, the Kings won't struggle to score points this season. But the rest of the roster isn't much on paper and the team will likely once again be in the fight for a play-in tournament spot at the end of the regular season.

Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB) (+370)

Though they've been plagued by injuries in 2025, the defending World Series champs are still at the top of the odds board based on the talent they have on their roster. Led by Shohei Ohtani, perennial MVP candidate and the best two-way player the game has seen since Babe Ruth, the Dodgers should be a very tough out in the playoffs.

San Diego Padres (MLB) (+1100)

The Padres traded key top prospects to bolster their roster at the trade deadline and look to beat teams in October with a strong bullpen. With a strong lineup led by Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, the Padres look to finally surpass their National League West rivals in 2025.

San Francisco Giants (MLB) (+40000)

A midseason trade for Red Sox star infielder Rafael Devers hasn't gone as expected, with San Francisco already looking ahead to 2026. They'll need to improve their starting pitching outside of ace Logan Webb to contend in a difficult division.

Athletics (MLB) (+100000)

With their long term future in Las Vegas, the MLB team without a location name continues to play in Sacramento through at least 2027. They have an exciting young core led by Brent Rooker and Nick Kurtz and should be a factor for years to come once they land in Nevada.

Los Angeles Angels (MLB) (+100000)

Though future Hall of Famer Mike Trout is still on the roster, the Angels future is unclear without any other potential stars on the ballclub. Until proven otherwise, their future is middling without a true identity.

 Los Angeles Kings (NHL) (+2200)

The Kings haven't advanced past the first round of the playoffs since they won the Stanley Cup in 2014. In each of the last four years, they have lost to Edmonton in the playoffs. Can they finally overcome their nemesis and break through in 2026?

Anaheim Ducks (NHL) (+10000)

The Ducks are in the midst of seven straight seasons without a playoff berth and per the oddsmakers, that doesn't look to be changing in 2026.

San Jose Sharks (NHL) (+50000)

Despite being tied with the Blackhawks for the worst championship odds in the NHL, San Jose has a future star on its roster in 2024 No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celebrini. He registered 25 goals and 38 assists in his first season and should take a step forward despite his team not having high expectations this season.

College sports teams in California

Additionally, college teams are aplenty in California. The state has seven FBS football and 26 Division I basketball teams, though their Power Four Conference schools include:

UCLA Bruins (Big Ten)

A disappointing 5-7 football campaign under new coach Deshaun Foster in 2024 looks to be improved with new quarterback Nico Iamaleava transferring in from Tennessee. Both the men's and women's basketball teams made the NCAA Tournament last season, with the men losing in the Round of 32, while the women made it to the Final Four before losing to eventual national champion, UConn.

USC Trojans (Big Ten)

In their first year of Big Ten competition, USC football posted a 6-6 record during the 2024 regular season before a stunning Las Vegas Bowl victory over Texas A&M. The Trojans men's basketball team looks to make the NCAA Tournament after failing to do so each of the last two seasons and looks to be improved on paper. The women's team made the Elite Eight last season and has national championship expectations if star guard JuJu Watkins can return successfully from a knee injury suffered in the 2025 tournament.

California Golden Bears (ACC)

Similar to their Bay Area rivals, Stanford, the Golden Bears look to be subpar again this season in the two highest revenue sports, football and men's basketball. The additional cross country travel associated with being a part of the ACC does not help their chances of improvement in 2025-26.

Stanford Cardinal (ACC)

Despite being one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the country, the school's football and men's basketball teams have struggled lately. The football team hasn't made a bowl game since 2018, while the basketball team has failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament in each year since 2014.

Responsible gaming in California

Here are two resources for problem gambling available in California:

National Problem Gambling Helpline:

Phone: 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537)
Text: 800GAM
Chat: 1800gamblerchat.org

California Council on Problem Gambling:

Phone: 714-765-5804
Website: www.calpg.org

FAQ

Is sports betting legal in California?

No, and it's not likely to be legal in the state anytime soon. Fortunately, Daily Fantasy platforms are legal and offer welcome bonuses to California residents.

Is DraftKings legal in California?

DraftKings cannot be used for sports betting or casino games in the state. However, Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) contests are allowed, as they are not considered traditional sports wagering.

Is FanDuel legal in California?

For sports betting and casino games, FanDuel is not permitted in the state. But DFS contests via FanDuel are allowed in California.

Can I use a sportsbook promo in California?

No, as legal sports betting is not permitted in the state.

Can I play DFS in California?

Daily Fantasy platforms are permitted within state lines and offer welcome bonuses to California residents.

Can you use a DFS promo in California?

Yes, each of the major DFS sites has an introductory promo that features either a deposit match or risk free first bet.

What are the best DFS sites in California?

We recommend Underdog, Sleeper, DraftKings, DraftKings Pick6, ParlayPlay, and Boom Fantasy as the top DFS sites in California.

How old do you have to be to play DFS in California?

California residents must be 18 or older to play DFS in the state.