Self-exclusion is the voluntary choice to have a casino ban you from their premises for a set amount of time. While you are self-excluded from a casino, you cannot cash out jackpots, claim other prizes or winnings, and may be arrested for trespass if you violate your exclusion.
For those suffering from the disease of gambling addiction, self-exclusion is one of the most important recovery and prevention tools. Unfortunately, for reasons (explained here) beyond our control, it can be difficult to figure out how to self-exclude throughout California.
In California, there are two primary types of self-exclusion: the statewide self-exclusion program for card rooms, and the self-exclusion programs at tribal casinos.
The statewide program is administered by the California Gambling Control Commission and the Bureau of Gambling Control, and encompasses all “card rooms” in the state.
Card rooms are casinos that are regulated by the state (i.e. not on sovereign tribal land), and are most distinguished by the fact that they do not have slot machines.
Mailing in a single form allows you to exclude from all card rooms in the state.
Each tribal casino has its own regulatory agency, usually called a “tribal gaming commission,” and generally each tribal casino will have its own self-exclusion program regulated by its own gaming commission.
This is what creates the complexity in California: with more than 65 regulatory agencies, you must enroll in a lot of different self-exclusion programs.
Some tribal casinos allow you to exclude by mailing in a form; others require you to go in-person; however, oftentimes you can self-exclude at the gaming commission, and not have to enter the casino itself.
Please note that the National Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program (a third party service which is unaffiliated with CalPG) offers to notarize forms for the Card Rooms’ self-exclusion program at no cost here.
In order to avoid being triggered, and/or feeling an even greater temptation to gamble, we recommend you avoid visiting the casino gaming areas whenever possible – i.e. mailing in a form is best and, when that is not possible, checking to see if excluding at the gaming commission or other off-site location is possible instead.
On these pages, you will find the information we have about the individual exclusion programs (how to enroll, how long you can enroll for, if you can enroll by mailing in a form, etc.).
Although nothing you find on this site is proprietary or confidential, it is usually not publicly advertised either. We have gathered this information through hundreds of hours of phone calls, and/or through user submissions. If you notice missing or out of date information, please contact us here.
Also as a reminder, for what we hope are obvious reasons, this is not a casino directory. You will not find addresses to casinos or information about their games or promotions, and any phone numbers you find will be direct lines to departments or individuals who administer their self-exclusion programs.