Southern California houses some of the best legal card rooms and casinos in the world. You can play slots and tablegames, as well as Texas Hold ’em and Omaha at many locations. If you are 18 years or older, you can play bingo.

The Southern California Gaming Guide Reader's Choice 2018 Best Casino™ winners range from multi-award-winning, world-class casino resorts to smaller casinos, including some properties in the. #11 Best Value of 12 California Casino Resorts “ A favorite place for family gatherings and small celebrations, we took the tour through the beautifully forested mountain highway to the most beautifully architect-ed Hotel, casino and resort San Diego has to offer. 2020's top casinos in California include Catalina Island Casino & Avalon Theater, Del Mar Race Track + Harrah's Resort Southern California. Add these and more to your travel plan. Casinos in California. California has 65 American Indian tribal casinos, ten racetracks without gaming machines, numerous card rooms also without gaming machines, and cruise ships with onboard casinos to Hawaii, Alaska, and international destinations. The largest casino in California is San Manuel Casino having 4,800 gaming machines.

There are more than 100 casinos and card rooms in Southern California. (For our purposes, we will count everywhere south of SanFrancisco as SoCal.)

California is home to some great legal casinos. However, casinos have had to get creative to keep in line with current gambling laws. Let’s explore the best places to play in 2019.

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Best Casino Payouts In Southern California Right Now

Casino laws in California in 2020

There have been legal casinos in Southern California since the early 1990s. The California Gambling Control Commission and the California Department of Justice oversee gaming.

Poker is also legal in California. Texas Hold ’em and stud games have been played in the state since the GoldRush. Southern California now boasts some of the biggest and best card rooms.

Tribal casinos are also popular in SoCal. Virtually all NativeAmerican tribes in the region own and operate a casino.

Under the Tribal Gaming Act of 1988, Native American casinos are allowed to provide table games and slots to visitors 18 and older. However, to keep in line with alcohol laws, most casinos bar anyone younger than 21 years old from entering the premises.

If you are older than 18, you can play machines on special gaming floors at selected casinos.

You won’t always find “house-banked” card games, like blackjack, at non-tribal casinos. Most casinos offer “Californiagames,” which have been adapted to comply with local laws.

• Legal age for casino gambling: At least 21 years or older (18 years to play bingo and some Class II slots)
• Permitted games (tribal casinos): Slots, poker, blackjack, table games, roulette and craps
• Permitted games (non-tribal casinos): Slots, poker, Mystery Card Roulette, player collection card games and blackjack games

Popular casino games in Southern California

• Slots: You will find video slots at all tribal casinos in SoCal. In most cases, you need 21 years or older to play slots. If you are at least 18 years old, you can play some non-jackpot slots, although these options aren’t available everywhere.
• Craps: Dice games are outlawed at non-tribal casinos in Southern California. California Craps uses cards that display different “dice” combinations.
• Roulette: Traditional Vegas-style roulette is largely prohibited in Southern California. Casinos have cleverly bypassed the laws to introduce their versions of roulette. You will only find card-based roulette games, like Mystery Card Roulette, in California. To play, you place wagers on an American roulette-style table layout. However, cards are drawn at random to determine winning numbers instead of using a numbered wheel.
• Blackjack: Traditional Vegas-style blackjack isn’t available everywhere. However, in games like PureBlackjack, you play against fellow gamblers, not the house. The casino takes a small fee for every hand.
• Bingo: You can play at legal bingo halls in SoCal as long as you are at least 18 years. Bingo is also permitted in most casinos.
• Online games: Some of the larger casinos in Southern California run their own free-to-play online gaming sites. San Manuel Casino runs a social casino that offers free blackjack, bingo and slot games.

Because games are free to play, casinos don’t fall foul of any California state law.

Legal poker rooms in Southern California

Live poker is legal across California. You can play Texas Hold ’em, Omaha or games like Stud for real money. Cash games and tournaments carry fees.

Casinos, including the Commerce Casino and LA’s Bicycle Casino, offer some of the best poker action in the world.

The Commerce Casino is home to the most prestigious poker tournaments in the US. The LA Poker Classic is where players compete every year in a $10,000 Buy-in No Limit Hold ’em championship.

Best Southern California casinos in 2020

Eagle Mountain Casino

Address: 681 S. Reservation Road, Porterville, CA 93257
Website: www.eaglemtncasino.com
Games: Poker, keno, slots, video poker and blackjack.
Legal age: 21 years or older

The Tule River Tribe operates Eagle Mountain Casino. You can play the latest HD slots – about 1,200 – as well as keno, blackjack, and Texas Hold ’em in the three-table room.

Harrah’s Resort Valley Center SoCal

Address: 777 S. Resort Drive, Valley Center, CA 92082
Website: www.harrahssocal.com
Games: Slots, blackjack, poker, Rincon Craps, Mystery Card Roulette, Fortune Pai Gow Progressive, EZ Baccarat, Asia Poker, three-card poker, Crazy 4 Poker, Mississippi Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold ’em and Let It Ride Bonus.
Legal age: 21 years or older

Harrah’s Resort Valley Center is one of the biggest and best Southern California casino resorts. The casino floor features more than 60 table games, 1,650 video slots and a regular $10,000 blackjack tournaments.

San Manuel Casino

Address: 777 San Manuel Blvd., Highland, CA 92346
Website: www.sanmanuel.com
Games: Blackjack, Casino War, EZ Baccarat, Fortune Pai Gow, four-card poker, Mississippi Stud, Mystery Card Roulette, San Manuel Craps, three-card poker, Ultimate Texas Hold ’em and electronic roulette.
Legal age: 21 years or older

San Manuel Casino is one of the best tribal casinos in the state. It is owned and operated by the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians and located on a reservation that dates back to 1891.

The casino offers more than 4,700 slots, poker and a high-limit room. You can also play local table game variants like San Manuel Craps, which uses cards instead of dice.

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino

Address: 84245 Indio Springs Drive, Indio, CA 92203
Website:www.fantasyspringsresort.com
Games: Bingo, slots, EZ Baccarat, Fortune Pai Gow Progressive, Ultimate Texas Hold ’em Progressive, three-card poker progressive, Crazy Four Poker, Spanish 21, Mystery Card Roulette and blackjack.
Legal age: 21 years or older

Fantasy Springs is a “complete destination resort” located in Palm Springs. The casino floor offers 2,000 video slots as well as around 40 local table games and a bingo hall. You can play free slots and table games on Fantasy Springs’ Play4Fun website or app.

Pechanga Resort Casino

Address: 45000 Pechanga Parkway, Temecula, CA 92592
Website:www.pechanga.com
Games: Slots, blackjack, craps, bingo, poker, Mystery Card Roulette, sports betting, Ultimate Texas Hold ’em, baccarat, Pai Gow, Pechanga Card Craps, Fortune Asia Poker and Spanish 21.
Legal age: 21 years or older

Pechanga Resort Casino is one of the biggest gambling and entertainment hotspots in SoCal. The resort features a four-star hotel plus a nightclub, golf course and restaurants.

The casino houses video slots and more than 150 table games, including Vegas-style craps and blackjack. You can also enjoy off-track betting in the on-site sportsbook.

Commerce Casino

Address: 6131 Telegraph Road, Commerce, CA 90040
Website: www.commercecasino.com
Games: Poker, EZ Baccarat, Pan 9, Fortune Pai Gow, 21st Century Blackjack, Ultimate Texas Hold ’em, Mississippi Stud, Crazy 4 Poker, Let It Ride, Casino War and three-card poker.
Legal age: 21 years or older

Los Angeles’ Commerce Casino is the world’s largest poker room with 240 tables. It runs cash games and tournaments 24/7 in disciplines like Texas Hold ’em, Omaha Hi-Lo and Razz.

You can also play table card games, such as EZ Baccarat, Fortune Pai Gow Poker and Pan 9.

Bicycle Hotel & Casino

Address: 888 Bicycle Casino Drive, Bell Gardens, CA 90201
Website:www.thebike.com
Games: Poker, No Bust 21st Century Blackjack, Chinese Poker, EZ Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Dai Bacc, baccarat, Crazy 4 Poker, Super Pan 9, three-card poker and Ultimate Texas Hold ’em.
Legal age: 21 years or older

“The Bike” is located just minutes from the center of Los Angeles. Together with the Commerce Casino, the Bicycle boasts some of the best poker action in the world.

Best Casino Payouts In Southern California Casinos

You can find virtually any poker game available at the Bicycle, plus lots of regular promotions and big money drawings. You can also play California Games like No Bust 21st Century Blackjack and Chinese Poker.

Soboba Casino Resort

Address: 22777 Soboba Road, San Jacinto, CA 92583
Website:www.soboba.com
Games: Slots, Pai Gow, Ultimate Texas Hold ’em, Chase the Flush and blackjack.
Legal age: 21 years or older

You will find more than 2,000 video slots and classic slot machines at the Soboba Casino Resort. You can collect player points with the Soboba Rewards Card and redeem them for food and comps.

Casino Pauma

Address: 777 Pauma Reservation Road, Pauma Valley, CA 92061
Website: www.casinopauma.com
Games: Slots, poker, blackjack, Commission Free Fortune Pai Gow Progressive, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Mississippi Stud, Pauma Three Card Poker and Mystery Card Roulette.
Legal age: 21 years or older

You can play poker, slots and table games at this tribal casino in the Pauma Valley. The casino is operated by the Pauma Band of Luiseno Indians and features more than 1,050 slots on its 35,000-square-feet gaming floor.

Valley View Casino & Hotel

Address: 16300 Nyemii Pass Place, Valley Center, CA 92082
Website:www.valleyviewcasino.com
Games: Slots, Richer Roulette, Fortune Pai Gow Poker Progressive, Ultimate Texas Hold ’em, three-card poker, Buster Blackjack and Lucky Lucky.
Legal age: 21 years or older

San Diego’s Valley View resort is a modern casino and hotel with gaming, mountain views and a refreshing infinity pool. The San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians runs the resort, so you can expect to find lots of legal slots and games.

There are around 2,000 of the latest video slots, plus a Vegas-style roulette game: Richer Roulette. Richer Roulette uses a special wheel with card suits displayed.

Chumash Casino Resort

Address: 3400 CA-246, Santa Ynez, CA 93460
Website:www.chumashcasino.com
Games: Poker, bingo, slots, blackjack, EZ Baccarat, Mystery Card Roulette, Spanish 21 and Ultimate Texas Hold ’em.
Legal age: 21 years or older

The Chumash Casino Resort is located just north of Santa Barbara. You will find 24/7 gaming on the 115,000-square-foot casino floor. You can choose from 2,300 slots and 45 table games like blackjack and Mystery Card Roulette.

Jamul Casino

Address: 14145 Campo Road, Jamul, CA 91935
Website:www.jamulcasinosd.com
Games: Slots, craps, blackjack, Blackjack Free Bet, roulette, three-card poker, four-card poker, mini-baccarat, six-card poker, Ultimate Texas Hold ’em, Spanish 21, Fortune Pai Gow Poker, Dai Bacc and EZ Baccarat.
Legal age: 21 years or older

Jamul Casino is one of San Diego’s hottest gambling resorts. You can gamble, enter big prize giveaways, or enjoy an alfresco meal in the Loft 94 beer garden overlooking rolling hills.

The Kumeyaay Nation runs the Jamul Casino. Like most tribal casinos in Southern California, Jamul Casino is packed with hundreds of video slots and table games.

Red Earth Casino

Address: 3089 Norm Niver Road, Thermal, CA 92274
Website:www.redearthcasino.com
Games: Slots, video poker and video keno.
Legal age: 21 years or older

Red Earth Casino is situated between Indio and Brawley. It is run by the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians and features thousands of slots and table games.

In the Players Club, you can enjoy four tiers of free slots play benefits. The casino runs regular slots and free play promotions throughout the year.

Spotlight 29 Casino

Address: 46-200 Harrison Place, Coachella, CA 92236
Website: www.spotlight29.com
Games: Slots, blackjack, three-card poker, Mystery Card Roulette, Pai Gow, Ultimate Texas Hold ’em and Fortune Pai Gow Poker.
Legal age: 21 years or older

Spotlight 29 is Coachella’s go-to destination for casino slots and table games. The casino offers more than 1,600 classic and progressive slots, plus friendly table games, including local favorites like Double Deck Blackjack and Mystery Card Roulette.

Tortoise Rock Casino

Address: 73829 Baseline Road, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
Website: www.tortoiserockcasino.com
Games: Slots, keno, blackjack, Spanish 21, three-card poker and Ultimate Texas Hold ’em.
Legal age: 21 years or older

Tortoise Rock Casino is a large gaming resort on the edges of Joshua Tree National Park. The casino is located on more than 30,000 square feet of space. That’s enough room to cram in nearly 500 slots and table games like three-card poker.

Sycuan Resort & Casino

Address: 5469 Casino Way, El Cajon, CA 92019
Website: www.sycuan.com
Games: Bingo, poker, slots, EZ Baccarat, Pai Gow, Double Hand Baccarat, Sycuan Craps, four-card poker, Spanish 21 and Mystery Card Roulette.
Legal age: 21 years or older

Sycuan Resort near San Diego is an all-round casino and holiday destination with pools, restaurants and a hotel. Sycuan features a dedicated poker room spreading Hold’em, Stud, and Omaha.

The casino floor features blackjack plus a selection of “Asian casino games” like EZ Baccarat, Pai Gow and Double Hand Baccarat. You can also play local Californian variants like Sycuan Craps and Mystery Card Roulette.

Barona Resort & Casino

Address: 1932 Wildcat Canyon Road, Lakeside, CA 92040
Website: www.barona.com
Games: Slots, blackjack, EZ Pai Gow Progressive, three-card poker, four-card poker, Mississippi Stud, Ultimate Texas Hold ’em, Free Bet Blackjack, electronic roulette, electronic Casino War and electronic baccarat.
Legal age: 21 years or older

San Diego’s Barona Resort boasts the most nonsmoking gaming machines in SoCal. The casino floor offers more than 2,500 video slots and video poker games, plus table games like Mystery Card Roulette.

Barona Resort & Casino has won awards for its blackjack games. The casino features some interesting variants not seen elsewhere, like Zombie Blackjack and Down Under Blackjack, where you can peek at the dealer’s cards before the game starts.

Pala Casino

Address: 11154 CA-76, Pala, CA 92059
Website: www.palacasino.com
Games: Pala Craps, Pala Roulette, poker, blackjack, baccarat, Pai Gow, slots and video poker.
Legal age: 21 years or older

Pala Casino is nestled in Southern California’s Palomar Mountains. It’s an award-winning casino resort where you can choose from 2,250 video slots and video poker games, plus more than 80 table games, including baccarat and Pai Gow. Pala Craps is a local variant of Vegas-style craps that uses cards instead of dice.

Home to Disneyland and Hollywood, Southern California is a popular travel destination for Canadians. In the winter, Southern California welcomes a large number of Canadian snowbirds looking to escape the cold. For those who like to gamble, Southern California is home to a large number of casinos. But not all casinos are created equal; some are known for poker, bingo, blackjack, and the loosest slots.

Whatever it is you like to play, gambling winnings by non-U.S. residents are subject to a 30% withholding tax by the IRS. When it comes to ease of reclaiming a portion or all of your withheld winnings, no one is more successful than Refund Management Services (RMS).

Best Southern California Casinos

California is one of the top travel destinations for Canadians, with approximately 1.9 million making the trip annually to the Golden State.¹ Like many states, California does not have any commercial casinos, but you can find 69 Indian Casinos and 90 Poker Casinos on numerous Native America reservations. California Indian casinos range from mini-casinos to sprawling, award-winning, Vegas-style resorts.²

Below is a list of some of the best casinos in Southern California as voted on by those who actually visit the casinos.³

Best Casino Overall: Pechanga Resort Casino

Big is best in So. Cal. and Pechanga Resort Casino is the largest casino in the state of California, It’s also rated the best overall casino. Located in Temecula, halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, Pechanga is owned and operated by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians.⁴

The 188,000-square foot casino boasts 4,000 slot machines, 154 table games, a non-smoking poker room with 43 table games, a 700-seat bingo hall, and a High Limit Salon.
The resort has more than 500 guestrooms and has received the AAA Four Diamond Award every year since 2002. The resort also has a full-service spa, championship golf course, fine and casual dining, and several entertainment venues.

Best Casino Resort: Morongo Casino Resort

Morongo is a luxury casino resort just 25 minutes west of Palm Springs. The resort is owned and operated by the Morongo Indian Reservation and offers Vegas-style gaming and upscale accommodations.

The 150,000-square foot casino features over 2,600 slots, 74 table games, and a 440-seat Bingo Hall.⁵

Morongo also has a 27-storey hotel with 272 guest rooms, 32 suites, and six casitas featuring separate living areas, private pools, hot tubs, and verandas and chaise lounges. At Morongo you’ll also find a spa, golf, shopping, bowling, entertainment, nightlife, and a wide array of dining options.

Casino with the Loosest Slots: Barona Resort and Casino

Barona Resort and Casino is a short, 40-minute drive northwest of San Diego on the Barona reservation. Barona has had a lock on the loosest slots category for a while now: five years running in the annual San Diego’s Best U-T Readers Poll.⁶

At Barona you can put the loosest slot theory to test on any of the 2,000 games. The casino also has a 15-table, non-smoking poker room and variety of table games. Barona also has a 400-room hotel, spa, golfing, and dining.

Best Casino Payouts In Southern California 2020

In addition to winning Loosest Slots, Barona is also home to the “Best” Romantic Restaurant, Steakhouse, Day Spa, Golf Course, San Diego Hotel, and Place to Get Married.⁷

If you’re travelling to Las Vegas we can direct you to the loosest slots in Vegas too.

Luckiest Casino: Sycuan Casino and Resort

If you’re not feeling all that lucky it might be a good idea to head to the Sycuan Casino and Resort. Sycuan Resort Casino, just minutes from San Diego, features a casino covering 200,000 square feet.⁸ There, you’ll find more than 2,000 slots, more than 40 table games, restaurants, poker, bingo, off-track betting, and a variety of restaurants to choose from. The hotel has over 100 guestrooms and suites, a swimming pool, spa, and fitness facility.

Best Casino for Poker: Harrah’s Resort Southern California

Harrah’s Southern California is a destination resort that is 10 minutes north of Hellhole Canyon Reserve and 50 minutes east of Carlsbad and the Pacific Ocean.

Best Slots In Southern California

The casino features 1,700 slots and 68 table games, but it seems a lot of people like Harrah’s Resort Southern California for its poker. The most popular game at Harrah’s Poker Room is 3-6 Limit and 1-3 No Limit. It also offers weekly Texas Hold’em tournaments, Bad Beat jackpots, and lots of promotions.⁹

RMS, the Easiest, Fastest Way to Get Your Gaming Tax Back

If you plan to visit a casino in Southern California or anywhere else in the U.S, and you win a substantial amount of money at the slots, playing Bingo, sports betting, in a poker tournament, or on Keno, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will withhold 30% of your winnings. That’s because gaming winnings are considered income in the U.S. and the IRS wants its share.

But, if you live in a country like Canada, which has signed a U.S. tax treaty, you may be eligible for a refund. Best of all, RMS can help you reclaim a portion or all of your taxable winnings.

There are a number of countries that currently do not have a U.S. tax treaty. However, if you reside in any of the following countries, you could still be eligible for a refund: Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Israel, Kuwait, Mexico, Malaysia, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, and the U.A.E.

Established in 1998 by a Canadian Chartered Accountant, the specialists at RMS have CA designation and a long -standing relationship with the IRS for efficient processing. Over the years, RMS has helped thousands of people from around the world recover taxes on their U.S. gaming wins.

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Contact RMS today by calling our toll-free number at 1-888-272-5559 or by emailing us at [email protected].

Sources:

1. “Southern California,” Government of Canada, last accessed October 12, 2016; http://can-am.gc.ca/business-affaires/fact_sheets-fiches_documentaires/cas.aspx?lang=eng.
2. “California Casinos,” 500 Nations, last accessed October 12, 2016; http://500nations.com/California_Casinos.asp.
3. “Reader’s Choice Best Casinos,” Gaming Guide, last accessed October 12, 2016; http://thegamingguide.com/index.php/advertise-with-us/2455.html.
4. “Pechanga,” Pechanga Resort and Casino, last accessed October 12, 2016; https://www.pechanga.com/.
5. “Gaming,” Morongo Casino Resort, last accessed October 12, 2016; http://www.morongocasinoresort.com/gaming.
6. “San Diego’s Best Union Tribune Readers Poll,” The San Diego Union Tribune, last accessed October 12, 2016; http://sd.sandiegouniontribune.com/bestof/.
7. “Awards,” Barona Resort and Casino, last accessed October 12, 2016; https://www.barona.com/about-barona/awards/.
8. “Casino,” Sycuan Casino and Resort, last accessed October 12, 2016; http://www.sycuan.com/casino.
9. “Casino,” Harrah’s Resort Southern California, last accessed October 12, 2016; https://www.caesars.com/harrahs-socal/casino.