The sports betting culture in San Jose is a strong one despite the lack of offline betting options available to residents of the city. This may be because there are so many opportunities for live sports viewing. Directly in the city of San Jose you have the San Jose Earthquake of Major League Soccer, the San Jose Sharks in the NHL, and the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL who play at Levi’s Stadium, which is located in north San Jose.
There are plenty of nearby teams to root for as a San Jose resident. Unfortunately the State of California does not allow you to bet on any of these teams at local casinos.
Is Sports Betting Legal in San Jose?
As I mentioned above, it is not legal for anyone to set up a betting operation and take bets in the State of California.
That said, it is completely legal for California residents to open an account at an offshore betting site, such as the ones I’ve recommended below. These sites are licensed outside of the USA and there is no time in United States history that an American has been prosecuted for placing bets through an offshore betting site.
**Legalized sports betting does not look like it’s coming to California anytime soon. Two ballot measures related to legalizing sports betting were voted on in November of 2022, with both propositions failing by a significant amount.
Best Sports Betting Sites for San Jose Residents
These are our favourite two offshore sportsbooks for San Jose players. Both of these betting sites are extremely popular across the United States and I’d be willing to bet you’ve heard of each of these sites before seeing them on this page. Both sites are safe, secure and available to residents of California.
- Built for American bettors
- Wide variety of competitive betting lines
- Easy to navigate betting platform
Offline Sports Betting in San Jose
Unfortunately, there is currently no offline sports betting allowed in California.
That said, you are able to wager on horse races in San Jose, and I’ve outlined a couple of great locations for placing horse race bets both in and near San Jose.
San Jose Fair Downs
San Jose doesn’t offer any horse tracks right in the city, but if you enjoy betting on the races then you can make your way down to San Jose Fair Downs. Located on the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, the Fair Downs are a licensed Off Track Betting location open Wednesday to Sunday, that allows you to wager on top tracks from across California and the United States.
***I should note that San Jose Fair Downs only allows betting on horse racing. You will not be able to place sports betting wagers at this location.
Golden Gate Fields
If watching the races from an Offtrack Betting Location isn’t close enough to the action for you, then a quick hour long trip up to Golden Gate Fields just north of Oakland is your best bet.
Golden Gate Fields has live racing almost every day and also allows you to bet on other races from around California and the USA.
***Once again I should note that you are not able to place sports betting wagers at this location.
Major Sports Teams in San Jose
- San Jose Earthquake (Soccer – MLS)
- San Jose Sharks (Hockey – NHL)
- San Jose Barracuda (Hockey – AHL)
- San Francisco 49ers (Football – NFL)
- Bay Area Panthers (Football – IFL)