California Online Live Dealer Casinos

California Flag

California is well-known for its many cardrooms and tribal casinos. In fact, CA has more Class III Indian casinos than any other state, with nearly 70 major operations statewide. These venues offer casino games, but when it comes to online live dealer casinos, California is all Aces and Eights. In other words, if you want to gamble online for real money in the Golden State, you need to save up your gold and wager it offshore. As all the top SoCal surfers know, that’s where you find the biggest and most thrilling waves!

While it would make tons of sense for CA to support live dealer gaming over the Internet, most states – even those with full-blown commercial casinos – don’t offer the option, and there’s no indication that CA will change course any time soon. However, you can still legally play live dealer and other online casino games by using any of the reputable operators listed here. These online California casinos are the best in the business, and signing up is as easy as hitting on 13!

Top Rated Real Live Dealer Casino For California Players

California players will find that Bovada offers a substantial selection of live dealer games to choose from. They are our number one recommended casino for the following reasons:

  • They offer a $3000 welcome bonus
  • They cater exclusively to USA players and accept players from California
  • Live dealer games are included on the game menu in the mobile casino
  • Bitcoin + altcoins and Bovada Vouchers for same-day payouts

Best Online California Casinos To Play Live Dealer Games In 2024

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Bovada Casino100% Up To $30004.7/5
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Are Online Live Dealer Casinos Legal In CA?

In a land-based capacity at Class III tribal venues, live table gaming is perfectly legal for California residents. The ages of entry vary by region, but for the most part, CA gamblers must be at least 21 years old to play traditional casino games (especially where alcohol is served).

Commercial casinos are not legal in the state, and while there is some talk of legislation to change that, it seems unlikely that California will risk its trade agreements with neighboring Nevada and cannibalize that market. (Most regular Vegas gamblers are weekenders from Southern California, after all.) California card rooms do not offer casino games and are poker-only.

If you want to play at a live dealer casino online, reputable offshore sites that serve CA customers are the only game in town. While there are two federal antigambling laws on US books, neither the Wire Act (1961) nor the UIGEA (2006) target individual players in any way, and offshore gambling sites are legally allowed to operate in their own home countries, far outside of US jurisdiction. This renders them lawful for CA gamblers to use to wager real money on live dealer casino action.

How Do Live Dealer Casino Games Work?

live dealer games thoughtLive dealer games at offshore California casinos all work the same way, though different sites have slightly different features and presentations. As a general rule, live online casinos allow you to join a table for any of the games listed here (see below), and you’ll get a live audio-video feed to a real dealer who is dealing real cards or spinning a real roulette wheel. This AV feed is one-way, so the dealer can’t actually see or hear you, and you can choose to turn off the sights and sounds of the game if you wish.

Most sites also offer a chat function where you can send messages to the dealer and other players at the table, though each venue’s terms and conditions outline what constitutes civil discourse. As long as you aren’t a troll, you’ve got nothing to worry about and can chat freely with the house and your fellow gamblers. As an added bonus, some sites even offer gambling mini-games in their text messaging windows!

While all the electronic gambling titles at the best online California casinos use certified RNG (random number generation) technology made by the best developers in the gambling industry (i.e. Realtime Gaming, Microgaming, Betsoft, etc.), live games don’t use these simulations. Instead, because these are real games with actual dealers, you’re getting a “manual” gambling experience through live web streaming functionality. Some players prefer this approach, even though the RNG tech of electronic table games guarantees you’ll always have the same odds to win.

Types Of Live Dealer Casino Games Available Online

The best live dealer casino reviews are predicated on a number of things, including customer support, payout reliability, bonus options, and more. However, for many players, live dealer support is paramount. After all, while things like simulated blackjack and video roulette in California are popular at these venues, they just don’t offer the same level of immersion. Live, real-dealer wagering, on the other hand, is very much like being in a legitimate brick-and-mortar casino!

As luck would have it (and that’s important in gambling), all the sites here fit the bill, each offering sophisticated live dealer casino software that is audited and iGaming fair-play-certified to ensure every gambler gets a fair shake of the dice, deal of the cards, and spin of the wheel. When you join one of these top-rated California online casinos, you’ll get access to multiple live tables, including the following most popular online casino games:

Live Dealer Blackjack

CA Live dealer blackjack games are the most popular game type at online CA casinos, and they mirror the retail gambling experience in every way. You join a table, watch the blackjack dealer through a live video feed, and can hit or stand in real time. You can even use a dedicate chat messaging interface to talk to the dealer and to other players at the table.

Live Dealer Roulette (American)

CA live dealer roulette is played and presented just like it is in land-based casinos. American roulette differs from the European variant by having one more slot on the wheel (a double zero, or 00), which reduces bettors’ odds but usually has slightly higher payouts. American roulette is the more popular version among California gamblers and US players in general.

Live Dealer Roulette (European)

European live dealer roulette games are also offered at all the top CA-friendly online casinos, and players who want a slightly better edge prefer this version to the American variant. The rules are all the same, but instead of two green slots for zero and double zero, the Euro roulette version has a single zero slot.

Live Dealer Baccarat

Baccarat live dealer games replicate the look and feel of high rolling baccarat just like in the movies, minus the James Bond shenanigans and big crowds cheering you on as you risk $500,000 per hand (as online baccarat doesn’t have those kinds of limits in the first place). For those just learning the game, playing baccarat online with a live dealer is the way to go. The live baccarat hosted at CA online casinos is usually the “Punto Banco” variant of the game.

Fun fact: Baccarat’s global popularity is a direct result of the game’s heavy use in Hollywood movies, making it a true California original, even though it technically originated in Europe.

Live Dealer Super 6

Super 6, also called mini-baccarat, is very popular, primarily due to Mini-Bac live dealer games being much more streamlined and faster to play. Super 6 is the best way to get your baccarat fix in just seconds, with slightly revised rules that allow for a higher volume of play than its more well-known counterpart. If you want to play live dealer mini-baccarat, we recommend learning the ropes with the standard baccarat first, as there is more inherent risk in Super 6, especially for beginners.

Mobile Live Dealer Casinos

Most of the top services listed here are live dealer casinos, and though some of their games may be more enjoyable on the big screen of your desktop or laptop, they are also accessible via mobile casinos.

However, if you want to play real money live table games via iPhone casino apps or Android mobile gambling apps, you won’t find these on the App Store or in Google Play. This is strictly due to Apple/Google corporate policy, and it is not an indictment against these online operators in any way.

To get around this, the top real-dealer sites have built web apps that allow you to play online casino live dealer roulette, live dealer blackjack and baccarat, and much more, all in the palm of your hand. As long as you have a reasonably recent device and an Internet connection, you can hit the tables no matter where you are. The following are the most popular in the CA online gambling industry:

Bovada - #1 Live Dealer Casino

Ignition Live Dealer Casino

Live Dealer Casino Bonuses

Online casinos of the offshore variety offer a host of CA casino bonus options. However, live dealer games are not eligible to count towards the playthrough requirements carried by the offers. For live dealer blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and Super 6, you cannot earn rollover credit to put towards any bonus redemption.

Thus, if you are strictly going to play in the live dealer section of your online casino, you need to make sure you understand how bonus terms and conditions work.

Similarly, some casinos offer no-deposit bonus free chips to new members, allowing you to start playing immediately without actually making your first deposit. No deposit bonuses will not apply to the live dealer games either. Still, we typically recommend accepting bonuses and playing games that carry more weight in meeting wagering requirements in order to boost your bankroll (and get plenty of practice) before hitting up the live tables.


FAQ Button

CA Online Live Dealer Casinos FAQs

Do California card rooms have live dealer online gambling?

No. California gambling laws are very strict, and these venues cannot operate other casino table games, as these are reserved for the tribes per the state’s tribal compacts.

CA card rooms are restricted to poker, and there is no way to play legal California online poker with domestic operators. These venues are in-person only, and while they can be a lot of fun, they’re still not the best option for most players when it comes to convenience and accessibility.

However, online poker in California is legal, but you have to play it at the casinos listed here. Most offer video poker (which is technically a casino game), but several of these sites also have tournament poker rooms where you can play against hundreds (or even thousands) of other real players or simply join a quick cash table to play a few hands in your spare time.

Where can I play live dealer poker online in CA?

Nowhere. While tournament poker at the best offshore California-friendly casinos is real poker played against others in real time (and thus “live” in this context), it’s not a live dealer product. These multiplayer games are all run by RNG software that acts as the dealer, so though your competition is very real indeed, your dealer – for all intents and purposes – is not.

What is the best funding method for live dealer online casinos?

If you want to cut out all the middlemen and have a bullet-proof means of depositing your funds quickly, getting the best bonuses, and paying no added transfer fees on deposits or withdrawals, you’ll want to choose a live dealer Bitcoin casino. Every site listed here supports – and prefers – Bitcoin (BTC) as the main mode of transaction.

One of the best reasons to use Bitcoin is that the cryptocurrency is quantum hacking resistant due to its blockchain open ledger system. In layman’s terms, it’s the safest way to send money electronically, period.

Of course, the number-one reason to choose BTC is that it’s also the only same-day payout method at any offshore California live dealer casino. Just remember: To receive BTC payouts, you must first deposit using Bitcoin.

Where can I find a live dealer casino near me in California?

If you want to undertake the hassle of venturing to and playing at a live dealer casino in CA, there are around 70 operational tribal venues scattered throughout the state that offer the pastime via bona fide live tables.

However, for the millions of CA gamblers that want a convenient experience they can enjoy from home, the best CA live dealer casino is right in front of you!

Whatever device you’re reading this guide on, you can use it to visit one of our listed gambling sites, make an account, deposit some funds, and hit the virtual felts. With offshore casinos, your live dealer is always in the palm of your hand.

Is live dealer blackjack rigged?

Nope! Like all live dealer games from the top sites, the best live dealer blackjack tables all use standard six- to eight-deck shoes that are machined shuffled. Trained dealers can be watched through a camera feed (and even communicated with via a text function on the site itself), and you can see that their every move is by the book.

Live dealer games are as legitimate as their brick-and-mortar counterparts in the best land-based California casinos.

Why can’t I find live dealer craps online?

Live dealer craps isn’t a popular offering, as there’s simply no demand. While you can play the game at any brick-and-mortar California craps table, there’s really no “live dealer” aspect that translates to online play.

After all, you’re the one throwing the dice, and the dealer (or attendant) is simply there to move the chips around after you win or lose.

If you want to play online craps, the video craps games at any reputable site are fast, easy, and fun. Best of all, you’ve got the same odds as you would in the real world, unless you’re some kind of dice maven with the twist of the wrist to match. If that’s the case, online isn’t your game. And neither are healthy kneecaps!

Where can I play roulette in California over the Internet?

You can play online roulette – American or European (you get better odds with the latter, albeit the payouts are better for the American game) – at any of the live dealer California casinos listed here. Because many land-based tribal venues offer live and electronic roulette in California, your options aren’t limited to online – they’re just better online.

Given the size of the Golden State, roulette tables in California are few and far between, but when you play over the Internet, the tables are right in your pocket or purse.

With a real croupier spinning the wheel and dropping the ball, live roulette is as thrilling as it is on a typical casino floor, but you can play from anywhere in the state, 24/7, and all you need is an Internet connection. That, and a membership at any of the best live dealer roulette online casinos.

What is the best live dealer casino on the Internet?

We don’t list any live California casino here that we don’t play at ourselves, and we like them all for different reasons. Each one has a different suite of casino titles and live dealer gambling options, and they are all accessible via mobile and reputable in every way.

If you’re just getting into live casino play for the first time, Bovada or Ignition are the most popular operators for California gamblers, but other operators have each carved out their own compelling spaces.

We suggest picking a few different sites, signing up at each, and browsing their offerings in full. You may find that you like Bovada blackjack, Ignition roulette, Café Casino Super 6, and Slots LV baccarat. It’s free to join any site you wish, so shop around!

Where can I play free live dealer roulette?

While many of the sites recommended here have free-play versions of their popular table games, these are only going to be found among their RNG (random number generation) games in the standard Casino sections. You cannot play live dealer 21, live dealer baccarat, live roulette, or any live dealer casino game without risking real money.

So while you can watch the tables in action and see how everything works without making a deposit, you’ll need to have money in your account before you can pull up a virtual seat at the digital felts.

Where can I play free live dealer blackjack?

As with roulette above, there is no way to play it – or any real-dealer casino game – online for free. You must make a deposit and risk genuine money in order to play at live dealer tables.

Remember, these tables are staffed by real people, and online CA casinos pay their employees well. They can’t afford to let members use these particular services for free.

What is the best live dealer baccarat online casino?

The best live dealer baccarat online can be found at any of the top CA-friendly sites listed here. We prefer the setups at Bovada and Ignition, but all the top operators who offer the pastime do it well and make the experience fun, engaging, and immersive.

Baccarat live dealer games include the standard game and Super 6, which is otherwise known as mini-baccarat (or mini-bac). That said, a live baccarat dealer is not really necessary unless you just want the human touch. In baccarat, there is no edge a gambler can get by studying the dealer, and the game’s rigid rules are what they are – As all California baccarat players know, the game is truly randomized, even when it’s played live.

Who offers the best live dealer roulette online for CA players?

Live dealer roulette – or, more aptly, live croupier roulette – is offered at all the top sites, and the best of these will be subjective.

As with other titles, we prefer live online roulette that offers full video feeds of the dealer as they spin the wheel and drop the ball (pro-tip: their habits are worth studying!), as well as sites that offer player-to-dealer text messaging.

As most of the best offshore California casinos have all this, we recommended taking a spin amongst them all before picking your favorite place to play.