California is a state with a mixed gambling history. These days, it technically allows all types of gambling in one form or another. However, the specifics of where and how you can enjoy these activities are heavily dependent on location and regulations. For instance, casino games are only legal at Indian casinos rather than resorts on state land.
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Below we will break down the types of gambling you can enjoy in Northern California.
Northern California Indian Casinos
Tribal casinos are currently legal in California thanks to laws between the state and federal government and the Indian tribes who maintain various territorial pockets throughout the state. At the time of writing, 63 tribal casinos operate in California. Combined, they produce over $8 billion in revenue every year.
Legality And Revenue
Indian casinos do not follow the same gambling regulations that other gambling sites do within the state. Because of this, resort-goers can find most major gambling activities within these resorts, including blackjack, poker, electronic games, slot machines, lottery games, bingo, and more. Gambling activities are either regulated by the National Indian Gaming Commission or state authorities.
Because tribal casinos drawing so much revenue, casinos often feature distinct themes or special attractions or resorts. Northern California Indian casinos are largely positioned around Sacramento or the Bay Area, although a few stretch a little farther north. Most of these resorts may have themes revolving around wine country or the NorCal wilderness and mountains.
Be advised that you need to be 21-years-old to enter most of the top Northern California tribal casinos. This is despite the fact that the legal gambling age is 18-years-old. Many casinos require you to be 21-years-old since they serve alcohol on their premises.
Northern California tribal casinos don't currently allow sports betting, but may bring in brick-and-mortar sports betting over the next few years.
Bay 101 Casino Poker
Where To Play
Some of the best Northern California tribal casinos include:
Thunder Valley Casino Resort
This casino is just outside Sacramento and is one of the largest resorts in the entire state, featuring over 145,000 ft.². It offers 2,000 slot machines and over 100 gaming tables plus options for bingo and live poker. It's 17-story tower hotel contains 297 rooms as well as a fine selection of excellent restaurants and other amenities. The casino is open 24 hours daily.
Table Mountain Casino
This casino is located north of Fresno. It's actually due for a renovation, as it was built in 1987. It's going to be replaced by a larger casino and hotel over the next few years. At the moment, it offers over 2,000 gaming machines, 10 poker tables, and a plethora of other table game opportunities.
Tachi Palace Casino Resort
This resort draws customers from all across the state, thanks to its expansive space and 45,000 square-foot concert venue. As a result, it's a frequent location for entertainment tours and activities beyond regular gambling experiences. It also offers over 2,000 slot machines and a seven-table poker room. Other features include a 255-room hotel and spa along with nine restaurants for a variety of dining opportunities.
Northern California Card Rooms
California offers some of the best card rooms in the entire country. California card rooms are legal because they have players bet against one another instead of the house. The card rooms themselves make their profit by charging players small fees to enter games. Dealers rotate with every hand.
Bay 101 Casino Poker Room
Games Available
Most California card rooms include staple poker varieties like Texas Hold'Em and Seven-Card Stud, although you can also find additional games depending on the location. Additionally, most California card rooms offer 'Cal Games', which are card games with rules tweaked to ensure their legality under California legislation. Cal Games include Blackjack, Pai Gow, Chinese Poker, and more.
Many of the best California card rooms also offer tons of poker tournaments for both beginners and experts. This draws plenty of traffic, especially at more popular card rooms. Tournament buy-ins and pools can range from the tens of dollars up to the hundreds or thousands of dollars.
All players need to be 18-years-old to legally gamble in a California card room.
Where To Play
There are 66 card rooms currently operating in California. Here are some of the best you can find in Northern California:
Bay 101
Bay 101 is located at the south end of the San Francisco Bay in San Jose, CA. They're a great choice thanks to their proximity to the San Jose airport, making them a prime stopover destination for travelers who get a poker itch. They offer a variety of poker games and tournaments, and frequently draw experienced crowds to offer moderate to high-skill poker action.
California Grand Casino
This casino is actually the oldest continually operating poker room in the world, as it's been offering poker since 1854. It served as stagecoach and Pony Express stop before becoming an explicit casino. Weekly tournaments and Cal Games are included, like blackjack, pai gow, and three-card poker for even more variety. The casino was moved into a new and modern building in 2009, so it offers fresh amenities and plenty of creature comforts.
Capitol Casino
This casino is a relatively simplistic entertainment venue without a lot of bells and whistles, but they offer plenty of excellent poker action. They also offer excellent restaurant and bar options, so it's a good place for general entertainment and enjoyment. They draw crowds from all over the Sacramento area and offer daily and weekly tournaments.
Northern California Race Tracks
Horse racing is one of the few types of wagering fully legal in California at in-person locations and online horse racing apps. Horse racing was legalized in 1933 using a pari-mutuel model. In short, this meant that bettors wager against each other while the horse track facilities take a small cut of the overall pool in order to make a profit.
Most Northern and Southern California horse racing tracks emphasize thoroughbred races, although you can find Quarter Horse races at a few select tracks. There used to be many more tracks in general, but the overall decline in attendance and several other factors have resulted in only a few major California horse tracks remaining open today.
Those who enjoy horse racing can make straight and exotic bets depending on a track's offerings. You'll also be able to find 27 satellite locations that offer off-track horse race betting if you don't want to use a mobile app. There's only one really excellent Northern California horse racing track compared to the three you can find in the southern half of the state:
Golden Gate Fields Race Track
This 140-acre horse racing track is located in Berkeley, right next to the San Francisco Bay. As a result, attendees benefit from expansive views of the local Bay Area and generally pleasant weather all year round. It's also the only major thoroughbred racetrack in Northern California.
Golden Gate Fields features a one-mile synthetic track and a turf course that measures 9/10 of a mile. It can fit thousands of customers and features on-site parking for visitor convenience. Horse racing enthusiasts will enjoy several graded events that are held every year, including the Berkeley Handicap, San Francisco Mile Stakes, and California Derby.
Admission is always free for children. There are plenty of comfortable facilities for both regular attendees and for those who are part of various clubs. Guests are even able to meet jockeys and see horses at the paddocks. The location is convenient since there are tons of hotels and dining options fairly nearby.
Northern California Gambling FAQ
As with Southern California, it depends on the activity in question. Gambling in general is legal only for those 18-years-old or older. However, you have to be 21-years-old to enter some Indian casinos because of alcohol restrictions.
This is largely because of the higher concentration of large metropolitan areas in the southern half of the state. Big cities like Los Angeles and San Diego have naturally drawn more gambling locations over time.
Is Bay 101 Casino Open
No. State authorities and the National Indian Gaming Commission are responsible for regulating all gambling institutions in California. They hold all institutions to the same standards.
No. Sports betting is technically illegal. However, new legislation may allow Indian casinos to bring brick-and-mortar sports betting to their casinos.
For the purpose of this article, we define Northern California as anything north of Fresno. Big metropolitan areas in Northern California include the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento.
Bay 101 Casino is a card room located in San Jose, California. It's situated near the San Francisco Bay and provides some of the best poker tournaments and Cal games in Northern California. Below, we provide detailed information about this card room in case you want to visit.
Poker Room Fact Table
| Year Opened | 1993 |
| Phone Number | 408-451-8888 |
| Address | 1788 North First Street, SanJose, CA |
| Number of Poker Tables | 49 |
| Number of Other Games (est) | 8 |
| Minimum Age to Gamble | 21-years-old |
Popular Card Room Events At Bay 101
There's plenty to enjoy at Bay 101. It offers a handful of staple poker games and tournaments, plus a selection of Cal games that feature modified rules to comply with California's gambling legislation.
Bay 101 is best known for the Shooting Star, a World Poker Tour tournament that first began in 1997 and still runs every year. It's one of the only major bounty tournaments listed on the World Poker Tour, so it draws thousands of people.
This casino is located north of Fresno. It's actually due for a renovation, as it was built in 1987. It's going to be replaced by a larger casino and hotel over the next few years. At the moment, it offers over 2,000 gaming machines, 10 poker tables, and a plethora of other table game opportunities.
Tachi Palace Casino Resort
This resort draws customers from all across the state, thanks to its expansive space and 45,000 square-foot concert venue. As a result, it's a frequent location for entertainment tours and activities beyond regular gambling experiences. It also offers over 2,000 slot machines and a seven-table poker room. Other features include a 255-room hotel and spa along with nine restaurants for a variety of dining opportunities.
Northern California Card Rooms
California offers some of the best card rooms in the entire country. California card rooms are legal because they have players bet against one another instead of the house. The card rooms themselves make their profit by charging players small fees to enter games. Dealers rotate with every hand.
Bay 101 Casino Poker Room
Games Available
Most California card rooms include staple poker varieties like Texas Hold'Em and Seven-Card Stud, although you can also find additional games depending on the location. Additionally, most California card rooms offer 'Cal Games', which are card games with rules tweaked to ensure their legality under California legislation. Cal Games include Blackjack, Pai Gow, Chinese Poker, and more.
Many of the best California card rooms also offer tons of poker tournaments for both beginners and experts. This draws plenty of traffic, especially at more popular card rooms. Tournament buy-ins and pools can range from the tens of dollars up to the hundreds or thousands of dollars.
All players need to be 18-years-old to legally gamble in a California card room.
Where To Play
There are 66 card rooms currently operating in California. Here are some of the best you can find in Northern California:
Bay 101
Bay 101 is located at the south end of the San Francisco Bay in San Jose, CA. They're a great choice thanks to their proximity to the San Jose airport, making them a prime stopover destination for travelers who get a poker itch. They offer a variety of poker games and tournaments, and frequently draw experienced crowds to offer moderate to high-skill poker action.
California Grand Casino
This casino is actually the oldest continually operating poker room in the world, as it's been offering poker since 1854. It served as stagecoach and Pony Express stop before becoming an explicit casino. Weekly tournaments and Cal Games are included, like blackjack, pai gow, and three-card poker for even more variety. The casino was moved into a new and modern building in 2009, so it offers fresh amenities and plenty of creature comforts.
Capitol Casino
This casino is a relatively simplistic entertainment venue without a lot of bells and whistles, but they offer plenty of excellent poker action. They also offer excellent restaurant and bar options, so it's a good place for general entertainment and enjoyment. They draw crowds from all over the Sacramento area and offer daily and weekly tournaments.
Northern California Race Tracks
Horse racing is one of the few types of wagering fully legal in California at in-person locations and online horse racing apps. Horse racing was legalized in 1933 using a pari-mutuel model. In short, this meant that bettors wager against each other while the horse track facilities take a small cut of the overall pool in order to make a profit.
Most Northern and Southern California horse racing tracks emphasize thoroughbred races, although you can find Quarter Horse races at a few select tracks. There used to be many more tracks in general, but the overall decline in attendance and several other factors have resulted in only a few major California horse tracks remaining open today.
Those who enjoy horse racing can make straight and exotic bets depending on a track's offerings. You'll also be able to find 27 satellite locations that offer off-track horse race betting if you don't want to use a mobile app. There's only one really excellent Northern California horse racing track compared to the three you can find in the southern half of the state:
Golden Gate Fields Race Track
This 140-acre horse racing track is located in Berkeley, right next to the San Francisco Bay. As a result, attendees benefit from expansive views of the local Bay Area and generally pleasant weather all year round. It's also the only major thoroughbred racetrack in Northern California.
Golden Gate Fields features a one-mile synthetic track and a turf course that measures 9/10 of a mile. It can fit thousands of customers and features on-site parking for visitor convenience. Horse racing enthusiasts will enjoy several graded events that are held every year, including the Berkeley Handicap, San Francisco Mile Stakes, and California Derby.
Admission is always free for children. There are plenty of comfortable facilities for both regular attendees and for those who are part of various clubs. Guests are even able to meet jockeys and see horses at the paddocks. The location is convenient since there are tons of hotels and dining options fairly nearby.
Northern California Gambling FAQ
As with Southern California, it depends on the activity in question. Gambling in general is legal only for those 18-years-old or older. However, you have to be 21-years-old to enter some Indian casinos because of alcohol restrictions.
This is largely because of the higher concentration of large metropolitan areas in the southern half of the state. Big cities like Los Angeles and San Diego have naturally drawn more gambling locations over time.
Is Bay 101 Casino Open
No. State authorities and the National Indian Gaming Commission are responsible for regulating all gambling institutions in California. They hold all institutions to the same standards.
No. Sports betting is technically illegal. However, new legislation may allow Indian casinos to bring brick-and-mortar sports betting to their casinos.
For the purpose of this article, we define Northern California as anything north of Fresno. Big metropolitan areas in Northern California include the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento.
Bay 101 Casino is a card room located in San Jose, California. It's situated near the San Francisco Bay and provides some of the best poker tournaments and Cal games in Northern California. Below, we provide detailed information about this card room in case you want to visit.
Poker Room Fact Table
| Year Opened | 1993 |
| Phone Number | 408-451-8888 |
| Address | 1788 North First Street, SanJose, CA |
| Number of Poker Tables | 49 |
| Number of Other Games (est) | 8 |
| Minimum Age to Gamble | 21-years-old |
Popular Card Room Events At Bay 101
There's plenty to enjoy at Bay 101. It offers a handful of staple poker games and tournaments, plus a selection of Cal games that feature modified rules to comply with California's gambling legislation.
Bay 101 is best known for the Shooting Star, a World Poker Tour tournament that first began in 1997 and still runs every year. It's one of the only major bounty tournaments listed on the World Poker Tour, so it draws thousands of people.
The Shooting Star takes place every March and uses a No-Limit Texas Hold ‘Em format. Players get 40,000, and starting chips and buy-ins are usually around $5,000 total. Games or levels are played in 40-minute periods, with breaks in between every one or two periods. Later on during the tournament, games go up to 60 or 90 minutes and culminate in a final 90-minute level with blinds between 125,000 and 250,000.
It's an extremely popular tournament for both poker fanatics and casual entertainment seekers. The main website updates the results of the tournament every year, and you can also watch it on TV. It's quite popular since the prize pool is dictated by the number of entrants. The 2020 prize pool went over $1,300,000.
You can also stop by Bay 101 in August to enjoy the Open tournament. Players of all skill levels can enter this tournament and potentially win big prizes.
Poker Games
Bay 101 offers a variety of poker games. Texas Hold ‘Em, the most popular poker game in the world, is available and can be played in limits that range from $1 all the way up to $160. The card room also occasionally offers no-limit games with blinds that go all the way up to $50, along with accordingly high buy-ins.
The card room also offers Omaha High-Low Split. This is a variation of classic Hold ‘Em, although the highest and lowest hands end up splitting the overall pot. Players begin with four cards and use two of the cards with three out of the five community cards to create an ideal hand. Games feature high low splits with limits that range from $4 up to $20 in certain tournaments.
Poker Tournaments
Beyond the other big tournaments mentioned above, Bay 101 features tons of daily tournaments and a printable calendar on the website where players can see what's coming up next. You can register for these tournaments fairly quickly, as 90-minute windows are available each day of the tournaments. Buy-ins range from as low as $30 all the way up to $1,100 for special events.
The majority of the daily tournaments also start in the morning, usually, around 10:00 am or 11:00 am, although a few begin in the evening at around 4:00 pm. The daily tournaments pay 100 percent of the prize pool, which can be paid in cash or also in Bay 101 proprietary chips that you can exchange at the cashier's cage.
Bay 101's daily tournaments are popular since they provide frequent opportunities for poker enthusiasts to test their skills in competitive environments.
See our complete Guide To California Poker Tournaments.
Cal Games
Bay 101 Casino
Bay 101 offers a significant collection of Cal games, including:
- Fortune Pai Gow
- Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em Bad Beat Bonus
- No Bust 21st Century Blackjack
- Three Card Poker
- EX Baccarat
- Pai Gow Tiles
- Casino War
- Crazy 4 Poker
Cal games are additional options at Bay 101 for those who want to venture away from traditional poker games. These games use slightly altered rules but still carry the spirit of the original games.
Like most card rooms, there only are a handful of available tables at which you can play Cal games. Most tables are reserved for traditional poker variants.
Poker Room Facility
Bay 101 is well known in part for its fantastic facility. The entire casino is spread across two floors and offers 49 card tables, with most of the daily and major tournaments taking place on the upper floor in a specific section of the casino.
The gaming floors also feature several large screen HDTVs, which showcase extra entertainment options and casino information.
Beyond the general elegance and aesthetic of the casino floor, visitors will also appreciate the excellent dining choices attached to the casino. There's the Province, a culinary forward restaurant that specializes in Asian cuisines, and also the Satellite Bar, which offers American classics and snacks.
You can even order table-side dining at any of the gaming tables 24/7. Bay 101 also lets you grab food on-the-go by ordering it ahead of time.
Card Room History
Bay 101 actually began as an inn in 1929. In 1961, it became a club with poker tables. 1992 saw the club closed because of financial difficulties with the original owner. It wasn't long before new owners and developers turned Bay 101 into the card room it's known as today. It reopened in 1993 and was built for an overall cost of $15 million.
Aside from a licensing issue that December, the club has been open since. It received a provisional gaming license in 1994. In 2017, Bay 101 relocated across the freeway to be closer to the San Jose Airport Hotel. This is where most casino visitors stay for the night if they're in town for an extended visit.
Bay 101 Card Room FAQ
Alcohol is served openly, so Bay 101 doesn't want to risk any underage drinking on its property.
Yes. The card room does issue checks for winnings.
You can get Wi-Fi anywhere within Bay 101's main casino area or the Province restaurant.
The casino is regulated by the California Gambling Control Commission.
Free Casino Poker
The casino is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
