Welcome to the Jersey Gypsy column, where our resident travel reporter, Valentina Lopez, roams the globe in pursuit of stories.
As part of her US travels, Valentina’s been in California, taking in all the Golden State has to offer. So far, she’s:
- Checked out historic Dodger Stadium
- Explored the magic of Universal Studios
- Eaten some of the best Mexican food in the United States
Online Casinos I Tried in California
After asking locals for recommendations, I played at several online casinos while in California, but there are three I’d put above the rest:
- Ignition: My favorite California casino overall
- Slots of Vegas: Maybe the most player-friendly bonus I’ve ever seen
- Super Slots: Lives up to its name (has slots for days)
Scroll down for my complete overview of these sites (along with my recommendations). Or keep reading to hear more about my trip to California.
The gambling scene in California is second only to Vegas in the United States (sorry not sorry, Atlantic City), so while I was excited to see Hollywood and head to the beach on this trip, what I was really daydreaming about were jackpots and card games.
One of the first places I visited was the Hustler Casino in Los Angeles, home of some of the best high-stakes poker action in the world.
I quickly learned two things: (1) my poker skills are a lot rustier than I thought they were, and (2), many gamblers in the Golden State are actually flocking to online casinos at the expense of brick-and-mortar establishments these days.
I learned this by overhearing a pit boss gripe about the fact that attendance was apparently down for a Friday night, but when I had the chance, I asked my table mates what they felt were the best sites to play on while I was in town.
I got a wide variety of responses, so I kept asking around (I’m nothing if not persistent — and nosy). Eventually, three sites were mentioned more than the others: Ignition, Slots of Vegas, and Super Slots.
As an avid gambler and poker player, I was familiar with Ignition, although I hadn’t played there in a while. The other sites were more wild cards to me, so I was interested to scope them out ASAP.
Once I had my list, I scraped what was left of my chip stack into a plastic rack and headed for the door. Thanks for the bad beats, Hustler, but I had dates with online casinos in my future.
Well, in the interests of complete disclosure, I had a date with Universal Studios on Saturday, but on Sunday…Sunday I would have a date with those online casinos.
Of course, you can’t just jump into something like this without a plan and a structure. I thought about all the things I valued in a casino, and then decided to rank each site methodically based on those things.
Here’s what I came up with:
- Quality and quantity of games
- Bonuses and other promotions (including loyalty programs)
- Banking experience
- Everything else — from customer service to special features other sites don’t offer
I spent a few hours on each site, giving them as thorough an inspection as I could. This meant depositing (I used Bitcoin at each site, as it’s the quickest and easiest deposit method), playing a wide variety of slots and table games, contacting customer support, and ultimately cashing out.
Ready to see what my experiences were like?
First Casino I Tried: Ignition
- Games I tried: Tractor Frenzy 40, Kraken’s Rage, Crime Cash, 21 Burn Blackjack, Dragon Roulette, Blackjack Early Payout, $.50/1 NL Hold ‘Em
- Hours spent testing: 4
- Bonus claimed: $3,000 combined welcome bonus
- How I did: Down $35
If you’ve played online for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard of Ignition — it’s one of the biggest and most respected sites in the world.
I’d played here before, but I wanted to see what the experience was like for California residents. Sometimes sites change things up a bit from state to state, so I wanted to make sure that the experience here was just as high-quality as the one I’d enjoyed elsewhere.
Long story short: Ignition is a great spot for California gamblers. I spent more time here than on any other site, simply because there’s so much more to do: tons of slots, over a hundred table games, and a full-fledged poker room.
If you’re someone who likes to play a lot of different games, I’d highly recommend checking Ignition out.
What I Liked
Ignition doesn’t have as many slots as many of the other sites I tried — I think they have around 500, while the other casinos have libraries in the thousands.
However, this wasn’t quite the dealbreaker I thought it would be. As it turns out, 500 slots is a lot of slots, way more than you’ll likely ever be able to play. Also, their selection is fantastic, complete with games I’ve never seen on other sites before.
There’s also true variety here. Many sites have a bunch of slots that all look vaguely similar, which makes me feel like their game counts are pretty inflated. At Ignition, you can choose between slots as bubblegum-sweet as “Tractor Frenzy 40” or as gritty as “Crime Cash.”
The hot drop jackpot section doesn’t hurt, either. Seeing those timers count down and knowing we might just be minutes away from a massive payday makes it hard to log out.
It’s not all slots here, though. The table game section is good, but it didn’t really blow me away — felt more like they were just checking boxes to make sure they had everything covered.
What did blow me away was their live dealer section. This is where you should play table games, as they have dozens of blackjack and roulette tables, all with wide betting limits and fun features.
To round out my time on the site, I dabbled in a low-limit hold ‘em game. I was impressed by the traffic at the site at 2 pm on a Saturday; I had my choice of tables and could get into the action immediately. The players were nothing special skill-wise, either — this certainly isn’t a breeding ground for sharks.
What I Didn’t Like
This is something of a personal crusade of mine, but can we please stop with the table games that have 1990s-style graphics and soft jazz soundtracks? They scratch the gambling itch, sure, but it’s 2025 — we’re past this now.
Fortunately, all of the table games are also covered in the live dealer section, so you don’t have to subject yourself to those games if you don’t want to. You can see for yourself how incredible the live dealer action is.
Another issue worth noting is the fact that getting to the poker room is a bit of a pain. You have to download a separate app and log in again, which takes a few minutes. Not a huge deal, but it definitely interrupted my flow.
Next On the List: Slots of Vegas
- Games I tried: Clue Chronicles: Mirror Mansion, Ronin: Quest of Honor, Rudolph’s Revenge, Blackjack + Perfect Pairs, Tri Card Poker, European Roulette
- Hours spent testing: 3
- Bonus claimed: $2,500 + 50 free spins
- How I did: Up $27
Slots of Vegas is a new site for me, but I had several people recommend it to me while I was here, so you know I had to check it out for myself.
What I found was a flawed but fun website. Basically, the gameplay is fantastic, but the presentation could use a lot of work.
That starts from the moment you visit the site. It just looks dated, whereas most casinos nowadays look sleek and modern. If we’re supposed to be in Vegas, this definitely feels like a casino off the Strip.
Then again, I’ve had some of the most fun experiences of my life playing in off-Strip casinos…
What I Liked
While the site itself isn’t much to look at, many of the slots are gorgeous. One of the first games I played was “Clue Chronicles: Mirror Mansion,” and it feels like you’re inside a big budget Agatha Christie adaptation.
There are some sizable jackpots here as well, adding a little extra excitement to every spin.
One thing this site offers that you can’t always find elsewhere is video poker. If you like playing cards but don’t want to face off against real people, this is a great way to do it. The Tri Card Poker game I played was one of the best video poker titles I’ve ever tried.
Once I took my attention off the games, I saw even more that Slots of Vegas had to offer, namely: bonuses. Their initial welcome offer is $2,500 + 50 free spins, which isn’t that impressive on the surface (it’s the lowest overall sum from any of these three sites, in fact).
However, I’m a professional, so I put on my investigative reporter’s hat and dug deeper.
The wagering requirements are a mere 10x, making this an insanely easy bonus to qualify for (I almost cleared it just testing the site out). What’s more, there are plenty of other offers on tap here, including the chance to get up to 50% cashback every week.
Guess that teaches me not to judge a book by its cover.
What I Didn’t Like
First and foremost, navigating the site can be difficult, to say the least. You’ll get a completely different experience before and after you log in, and most of the games aren’t even visible until you do.
They also have a lot of banner ads competing for your competition. Everywhere you look, there are flashing lights, moving wheels, and all sorts of other gimmicks; it makes it hard to know where to focus.
You get used to it after a bit, but it’s crazy to me that the site designers didn’t spend more time thinking about basic things like this.
Then again, some of those ads are for some pretty juicy bonuses, so it’s not all bad.
The Final Contender: Super Slots
- Games I tried: Take the Vault, Burning Lion, Rich Bankrupt, Kimmy Koala, Multi-hand Blackjack, Live Roulette, Lucky Kicks
- Hours spent testing: 2.5 hours
- Bonus claimed: $6,000 welcome bonus + 100 free spins
- How I did: Down $22
The final site I tried is another slots-focused casino: Super Slots. Unlike Slots of Vegas, though, Super Slots has put a lot of time and effort into making a sleek, sophisticated website.
This is a casino that just tries to overwhelm you with selection. There are thousands of games here — I spent the first few minutes just scrolling through all the choices.. Luckily, though, everything is well-categorized, making it easy to find what you’re looking for.
What I Liked
If it spins and pays out, they likely have it here. Super Slots actually lives up to its name, offering the best slot experience I’ve found anywhere.
Whether you like bonus buys, megaways, or games with specific themes, then you’ll likely find a category for it here (not a single game — a category). The options are truly endless.
My favorite thing was the slot tournaments they run everyday here. I didn’t have enough time to play one, but it’s a fantastic feature: compete against other players, with the best (or luckiest?) getting extra cash for coming out on top.
There’s more to do here than just play slots, though. The live casino tables are just as gorgeous as their slots, and for once I actually felt like I was playing in a real casino, not the conference room of my local Holiday Inn.
The video table games are fine — about on par with what Ignition offers. I mainly stuck to slots and live dealer games, and I felt like I had an excellent all-around experience as a result.
What I Didn’t Like
Super Slots has the best bonus offer of any of the sites I tried — but there’s a catch.
The whole thing is $6,000 plus 100 free spins, but the catch is that you don’t get all the money at once. It’s actually a $1,000 offer that you can redeem six times, which is still good; it’s just a little disappointing to see that number when you were expecting six times as much.
The good news (for me, anyway) is that the free spins are all credited at once, so I got 100 free shots at the “Take the Vault” slot to kickstart my adventure.
My Verdict: Which Was My Favorite California Online Casino?
I’ll get to my picks in a minute, but let me start by saying I was truly impressed by the California gambling scene.
From tribal casinos like Morongo and Pechanga to world-class poker rooms like the Commerce and Hustler, this state has it all.
And, as I discovered writing this article, their online casino options are fantastic as well. Players here have dozens of safe, exciting choices when they want to play slots, blackjack, or anything else under the sun.
Unfortunately, though, I don’t give out participation trophies, so here are my awards for the best of the bunch:
Best Slots: Super Slots
The selection here is unbelievable, but there are a lot of sites that can boast having tons of games. What sets Super Slots apart is the fact that all of the games are high-quality, and they’re laid out in an intuitive manner that makes it easy to find what you’re looking for.
I even saw a section for Christmas-themed games when I played, so it wouldn’t surprise me to find out they have a category for everything.
Even better, they have games with huge payouts, as well as regular slot tournaments with added cash rewards for the winners.
If you’re a slot jockey, I don’t see how you could do better than Super Slots.
Best Table Games: Ignition
Ignition and Super Slots were pretty close in terms of video table games, but Ignition took the crown thanks to its superior live dealer section.
There are dozens of tables running around the clock here, and the dealers are professional, charming, and a lot of fun. They also have games to cater to gamblers of any budget, so regardless of whether you want to bet a buck here and there or sling some serious chips, they have you covered (for the record, I’m a “buck here and there” player).
Slots of Vegas lagged behind the other two here, but it still has enough action to satisfy most recreational players.
Best Bonuses: Slots of Vegas
If you’re just looking at bonus amounts, this might seem like a surprising pick. Slots of Vegas’s $2,500 welcome bonus is lower than the $3,000 you can get at Ignition or the $6,000 that Super Slots doles out.
Dig a little deeper, though, and you’ll find that Slots of Vegas has some of the best promotions you’ll find anywhere.
The welcome bonus has a mere 10x playthrough requirement, making it far easier to earn than the ones at Ignition or Super Slots. The site also offers a lot of other deals as well, including the chance to get half of your losses refunded every week.
That’s hard to find anywhere — trust me, I’ve looked.
Best Overall: Ignition
I honestly loved all three of these sites, and I’d play at each of them again in an instant.
As I said, though, there has to be a winner, and Ignition is it for me.
Ignition has one of the most well-rounded gaming libraries I’ve seen anywhere, including one of the top online poker rooms in the world. The slots are well-curated, the live dealer tables are incredible, and they do a good job of taking care of their players.
Slots of Vegas and Super Slots are both excellent sites, but if I lived in California, Ignition would be my go-to site, hands down.
Diving Into the Data: Comparing the Casinos I Tried
If I can help it, I try to never just post my opinion and leave things at that; instead, I try to gather as much objective data as I can in order to let readers decide things for themselves.
Below, you’ll find some key data points for the sites I tested, which will hopefully give you a better understanding of why I scored them the way I did.
Game Selection Comparison
In terms of sheer game quantity, it’s clear that both Ignition and Super Slots dwarf Slots of Vegas. The former two sites both offer several hundred slots, as well as a robust selection of table games.
However, this is an instance in which raw data can be misleading. While it’s true that Slots of Vegas has a more limited menu, the games are carefully curated to ensure that each one works well with the theme they’ve established.
I would still award Slots of Vegas third place in this category, but it would be a mistake to look at this graph and just blindly assume that it’s clearly inferior to the other two sites in this regard.
Bonuses and Promotions Comparison
Ah, bonuses. My favorite category to investigate, as there’s often a gulf between what’s promised on the sales page and what’s actually delivered.
Surprisingly, that wasn’t really the case here, as most of the offers were pretty straightforward. The only issues I found was the fact that Ignition’s bonus is split between the poker room and casino, and that Super Slots’ welcome bonus is split over six deposits.
Also, while Slots of Vegas has fewer bonus offers than the competition, the offers they do have are fantastic. The 10x wagering requirement on the welcome bonus is one of the best rates I’ve ever seen, and the chance to earn 50% cashback is almost unheard of.
On the other hand, Super Slots has an incredibly diverse portfolio of offers. If you can’t find something that appeals to you here, I think you might be too hard to please.
Customer Support Comparison
One thing I learned while doing this article: if you need help from an online casino, live chat is definitely the way to go.
You can get an answer to most questions within minutes when talking to a live agent, whereas it can take hours or longer if you email them (and forget about calling — most online casinos don’t offer telephone support at all).
All three sites did fairly well in the live chat department, with Super Slots leading the way. I found the reps to be helpful and friendly, although if you have a super in-depth question, I’d send it via email, as there’s only so much a live agent can help with.
My biggest gripe here is that Ignition forces you to dig through their help section before you can contact customer support. I’m sure this is great for cutting down the demand for customer service, but it’s not an ideal situation if you need help in a hurry.
New to Online Gambling in California? My Advice
One thing I learned on this trip is that, for many Californians, gambling still means driving (or at least sitting in traffic) for hours until they get to their nearest casino.
The fact that online casinos are both safe and available is news to many around here, so if you’re just now starting to dip a toe into the online betting world, I have a few pieces of advice before you get started.
You Have Virtually Unlimited Options
The problem with brick-and-mortar casinos is that they have a limited amount of space to work with; you can only fit so many slot machines and roulette wheels inside of a big building, after all.
As a result, your local casino might not have your favorite game, or your favorite game at your preferred limit. You may have to wait hours to get a poker game going. The roulette tables might be too crowded for your tastes.
None of this is an issue with online casinos. They have thousands of games — far more than even your biggest physical casino could ever dream of. And these games are available for players of any budget, from high rollers to penny-ante players.
And if you happen to pick a site that doesn’t have your favorite title? Moving on to the next one is as easy as typing a few words in the search bar.
Online gambling is a whole new world — and, in my opinion, a better one.
Cashing Out is Likely to Be Your Biggest Issue
Getting money onto an online casino is a breeze. Most sites accept major credit cards, e-wallets, crypto, and more.
However, in California, cashing out can be more complicated. While major providers like Visa and Mastercard let you deposit with their cards, they don’t allow you to transfer your winnings back to your account.
Your options, then, are to either use a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, which allows for both deposits and withdrawals, or to request a bank transfer or check by mail.
The problem with the latter two options is they often take forever — as long as 15 business days in some cases.
I love crypto, as it’s a dream for anyone who travels as much as I do. I’d recommend using it for gambling as well, since it’s safer, faster, and you often get better bonuses when you deposit with Bitcoin or other cryptos.
Read the Fine Print on Bonuses
As I pointed out above, sometimes the headlines on bonus offers can be misleading. A $5,000 bonus might look better than a $2,500 offer on paper, but sometimes there are surprises lurking in the fine print that flip things around.
The first thing to look at is the wagering requirements — this is how many times you need to bet the bonus amount before you can cash it out. Most sites have wagering requirements in the 30-40x range, but some (like Slots of Vegas) are much lower than that.
A bonus that’s easy to earn is often far more valuable than a bigger prize that takes forever to claim.
Also, be sure to check for things like expiration periods or restrictions on deposit methods. Each site varies in this regard, so unfortunately I can’t give you any blanket advice.
Well, I guess I can: always read the fine print (that’s my blanket advice for life, not just for online gambling).
Basic Info About California Online Casinos
Online gambling is a whole new world for many people, and it can be completely different from the brick-and-mortar casino experience. Here are some things you should know before you get started.
I Actually Prefer Them to Land-Based Casinos
Many physical casinos give players comps, which are often things like free food or $100 if you play 100 hours.
That’s chicken feed online.
Internet casinos will give you thousands of dollars to sign up with them, as well as massive bonuses every time you reload your account balance. Many also have special offers like cashback, free spins, prize giveaways, and a whole lot more.
Bottom line: if a site isn’t making it worth your while to play there, some other casino will.
There Are Tons of Checks and Balances in Place for Safety
Many people think the online casino world is a kind of digital Wild West, where everyone is out to cheat you or steal your money.
That honestly couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Most of these sites are licensed by gaming commissions overseas, and there can be stiff penalties for acting improperly. The software is also regularly audited by third parties to ensure that each spin or roll of the dice is both fair and random.
Plus, online casinos won’t cheat you for the same reason Vegas won’t cheat you: it would kill the golden goose.
These sites make a fortune playing it straight, so there’s no need to risk all that by cheating players for a little extra cash. Playing slots online is every bit as safe as checking the balance on your bank account.
Do Your Homework Ahead of Time
I’m not just talking about researching sites before you sign up (although that’s important and, I assume, the reason why you’re here).
No, I’m talking about filling out the Know Your Customer (KYC) paperwork that sites require before you can cash out. These are documents verifying your identity, and they’re put in place to prevent shady activities like money laundering and underage gambling.
Many players leave these for the last minute, but that can delay the time when you receive your cashouts. Getting the (digital) paperwork filled out and submitted only takes a few minutes, and it can drastically speed up the withdrawal process.
My Final Thoughts About California Online Casinos
Just because California is home to some of the best casinos in the USA doesn’t mean that you should ignore what’s available online. In my experience, the online gambling scene is often the better deal.
I had as much fun at any of the three sites I tested as I usually do at any live casino, plus I was treated to more games, better bonuses, and speedy cashouts.
Am I saying that these sites will replace traditional casinos entirely for most California players? No, there’s still a thrill in walking into a physical casino and being surrounded by the people, the flashing lights, and (of course) the endless supply of booze.
But let’s face it, going to a casino is a huge and expensive hassle. If you just want to have a little fun at the end of the day, it’s hard to beat pulling out your phone and getting a few spins in on your favorite slot.
Also, it’s better for your liver. Who knew that gambling online could actually be healthy for you?
FAQs About Online Casinos in California
Many of the people I spoke to in California were unaware that online gambling was even available to them. Once I broke the good news, these are the questions I heard most often:
Is Online Gambling Allowed in California?
Yes, California residents are allowed to gamble online, including playing slots, blackjack, roulette, and more. You can find any number of safe casinos that accept California players, including the three I tested above.
What is the Best Online Casino in California?
When I was preparing for this article, I asked a bunch of gamblers in California their favorite sites, and the three that were mentioned most often were Ignition, Slots of Vegas, and Super Slots. After spending hours on all three sites, my pick would be Ignition.
Are Online Casinos Safe?
Depends on where you play. As part of my research for this article, I vetted Ignition, Super Slots, and Slots of Vegas, and found them to be safe, secure, and fair.
What Kinds of Games Can I Play?
There are thousands of options at many California online casinos, including slots, blackjack, roulette, poker, keno, Plinko, and just about anything else you can think of. If you’ve seen it at your local brick-and-mortar casino, chances are it’s available somewhere online as well.
What Payment Methods Do California Casinos Accept?
You can fund your account with major credit cards, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, or certain e-wallets. However, cashing out is a different story and varies from site to site; my advice is to use Bitcoin, as it has the widest acceptance rates and payouts are usually processed in just a few minutes.
Can I Gamble on My Phone?
Yes, virtually every modern online casino will be optimized for mobile use, so the games should look as good — and be as fun — on your phone or tablet as they are on your PC.
Got a suggestion for which US state Valentina should travel to next, or what she should do on her adventures? Reach out to her at [email protected] — she’s always looking for something new to try!
