Los Angeles is one of the best sports cities in America, and they are loaded with terrific professional sports teams. As more and more states and cities legalize sports gambling, it’s only a matter of time before Los Angeles sports betting becomes legal as well.
States all across the country are starting to legalize sports betting, giving fans the opportunity to locally place bets on their favorite teams or the sporting events that they are attending.
Some of the biggest and best sports cities in the country are just waiting to get the okay to legalize sports betting, and Los Angeles is one of those cities.
Let’s take a deeper look at the sports betting scene in Los Angeles, and what it might look like if and when it becomes legal in the state of
California.
Status of Los Angeles Sports Betting
If California comes around to legalize sports betting, you can bet Los Angeles will be a prime time spot for wagering. Read more about the status of legalizing sports betting in Los Angeles below…
The city of Los Angeles would welcome legalized sports betting with open arms, but the rest of the state of California isn’t as giddy to jump on board with the new trend. After the Supreme Court ruled that a federal ban on sports betting was unconstitutional, states all across the country where free to make their own rules.
There was a bill that was immediately introduced in 2017 in the California state legislature that would have made it legal in the biggest state in the country.
The amendment was eventually shot down, and the same thing happened when it was reintroduced in 2018. There currently isn’t a bill on the table in 2019, and it’s starting to look like
legalized Los Angeles sports betting, and California might be pretty far off.
Los Angeles is relatively close to Las Vegas, which is the betting capital of the world. The 2020 elections in the state of California will likely center around the issue of whether or not to legalize sports betting across the state, and sports fans will have a say in the decision.
Gambling and betting has a rich and deep history in the state of California, but it’s largely ran by casinos that don’t want to lose out on extra business. Native American tribes that operate casinos throughout the state play a huge role in the betting industry, and so far they have gotten their way.
As leagues such as the NBA and NFL incorporate sports betting into their live events, it will put even more pressure on Los Angeles and the state of California to get on board.
Los Angeles is home to some of the greatest sports teams in the country, and the state and each individual league can benefit from a bill getting passed. As more and more states legalize sports betting and see an influx of money, California will want to get in on the action and not be left in the dust.
Where to Bet LA Sportsbooks
The big question will be WHERE can players bet on sports in Los Angeles once it becomes legal. We have some thoughts on the venues and casinos that might accept bets when the time comes.
While it is illegal for
sports betting Los Angeles to place at a physical location, there are other ways to get around the issue. Currently it is illegal for a sportsbook to be owned and operated in the state of California, but that doesn’t mean that Los Angeles residents can’t place bets online. There are no state laws or city ordinances that prohibit a resident from
Los Angeles sports betting through an online offshore sportsbook, and to this date no resident of California has ever been charged with doing so.
Even though you won’t see fans at the Staples Center or Los Angeles Coliseum being able to place a physical bet, you can expect to see fans placing bets through their mobile device. If legalized sports betting does eventually become a thing in the state then you can almost guarantee that there will be stations set up at each of the major stadiums in Los Angeles. Professional sports leagues are already working on deals to allow this sort of thing to take place in their arenas during live events, and each league would love to get the city of Los Angeles on board.
There aren’t a ton of casinos inside the city limits of Los Angeles, but there are still a number of options available around the city. The Thunder Valley Casino Resort in nearby Sacramento already has a plan in place to offer sports betting at their establishment if the state of California makes it legal. You can guarantee that casinos all around the Los Angeles area will join the club and take advantage of the big money that pours in from sports.
LA Betting Teams Major Players
Los Angeles is one of the largest cities with the most professional sports teams. These teams will surely drive the betting action and as more and more states legalize, they will push Los Angeles sports betting to become legal as well.
TIMELINE Betting Los Angeles
- May 14, 2018: PASPA Overturned
- 2017: Los Angeles / California legalized DFS
- 1984: State Lottery was legalized in California
- 1933: Betting on Horse Racing Legalized
Sports and Teams That Will Drive Los Angeles Sports Betting
There is no doubt that Los Angeles has the professional sports teams to make sports betting a huge industry in the city.
NBA Teams in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most storied franchises in the National Basketball Association, and draw a ton of attention. Not to mention, LeBron James is wearing the Lakers uniform for the next few seasons. The Clippers share the same building as the Lakers, and they could be getting a couple of NBA superstars this offseason.
NFL Teams in Los Angeles
Los Angeles is home to a pair of National Football League franchises as well in the Chargers and the Rams. The Rams were in the Super Bowl this past February, and the Chargers are always a contender with Philip Rivers playing quarterback.
MLB Teams in Los Angeles Area
The Los Angeles Dodgers have been the best team in the National League for the last few seasons, and the best player in baseball, Mike Trout, plays for the nearby Angels.
NHL Teams in LA
Hockey isn’t the most bet on sports in Los Angeles but they do have two hockey teams that shouldn’t be overlooked. The Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks are both in the NHL.
College Teams in LA
The two major colleges in Los Angeles that bettors tend to wager on are UCLA and USC. The UCLA Bruins are one of the winningest basketball programs in sports history while the USC Trojans have a rich college football tradition. Other schools include Cal State Northridge, Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine and more.
Other Teams in Los Angeles
Los Angeles also has a couple popular soccer teams in the LA Galaxy and Los Angeles FC.
If sports betting ever becomes legal in the state of California then Los Angeles will definitely be at the center of it all. The city of Los Angeles is one of the biggest and most attractive cities in the country, and they have some of the best professional sports franchises as well. Sundays in LA will be even more crazy than they already are if fans are allowed to bet on games featuring their beloved Rams and Chargers.
GAMBLING AT A GLANCE IN LOS ANGELES
Casino – Only Tribal Casinos located on Indian Land in Los Angeles are able to run legally.
Los Angeles Sports Betting – Sports betting is currently not legal in the State of California which means it’s not legal in Los Angeles.
Horse Racing – Betting on horse and harness racing is legal but Off-Track betting is prohibited in Los Angeles.
Poker – Poker in LA is legal only at Tribal Casinos and “Cardclubs” currently.
DFS – DFS is legal in Los Angeles and the state of California. FanDuel and DraftKings both operate in LA.
Lottery – The California State Lottery is legal and operates. They provide games like the Mega Millions and SuperLotto Plus.
