Editorial Guidelines

Legal and ethical standards at PlayCA

As part of the Catena Media network, PlayCA covers legal and regulated gambling in California. We also report on legislative debates and actions that may result in changes to the state’s gambling laws and regulations. That means the reader will often find articles and informational pages on the site outlining what is and what is not legal when it comes to gambling in the Golden State.

That focus on legal gambling not only defines our editorial guidelines, it likewise governs our ethical approach to reporting on California gambling. PlayCA opposes the activities of illegal gambling websites or establishments that offer gambling without legal authorization to do so in the state. In fact, we caution all Californians against playing on these illicit sites and will not hesitate to highlight the significant risks associated with doing so.

Catena Media has affiliate partnerships with legal gambling entities across the US, each of which is fully legal and operates in compliance with the laws and regulations of its jurisdiction. We have no business relationships or dealings of any kind with unlawful, unregulated websites such as offshore sportsbooks, casinos, or poker rooms that illegally accept Californians.

The only reporting on such illegal gambling you’ll find on PlayCA will be articles sharing news about arrests, indictments and penalties levied upon illegal actors. Otherwise, the activities of illegal gambling outlets lie outside of our scope of interest.

Our editorial stance additionally includes a commitment to promoting responsible gambling and helping to prevent and treat problem gambling.

Procedure for editorial review

Our writers bring a variety of expertise to PlayCA. All have experience both in journalism in general and in the gambling industry in particular. They, therefore, begin with a substantial knowledge base and range of industry contacts that help them meet our high standard of reporting.

For our news articles, we make every effort to obtain firsthand information to support our reporting. That means talking directly to industry figures, legislators, regulators, and others directly involved with the subjects of our articles. It also means consulting official data and reports from the California Gambling Control Commission, the California State Lottery, the California Assembly and Senate, the governor’s office, and news releases from other elected officials and the like.

In other words, we aim to provide timely, independently verified reporting and avoid merely passing along news or information found elsewhere. We do, of course, occasionally report on the same stories other outlets do, but we aspire to make our reporting original and sourced in ways that ensure it is authoritative. We also avoid rumor-mongering or gossip-fueled speculation.

Factual accuracy

Every article and information page that appears on PlayCA has undergone multiple reviews. Besides proofreading for surface-level issues like spelling and grammar, editors and readers also fact-check articles to ensure their accuracy. Such rigorous vetting includes additional review by PlayCA’s managing editor, David Danzis.

Having such a process in place means nothing appears on PlayCA without having received close consideration from multiple individuals with substantial journalism backgrounds and extensive knowledge of the gambling industry.

Process for corrections

Despite our best efforts, it is always possible inaccuracy or mistake might appear on the site. While our editorial process generally ensures all news articles feature truthful reporting and error-free text, in rare instances a correction might be necessary. Additionally, changes to gambling laws or regulations, openings and/or closings of casinos or card rooms, or other events might cause information that we’ve published to be momentarily out-of-date, although we endeavor to keep all such pages current.

If you happen to notice something that appears amiss, don’t hesitate to send us an email and let us know so we can make the correction.

Partnerships and conflicts of interest

All of the advertising on PlayCA and other Catena Media sites results from our affiliate partnerships with some of the country’s foremost gambling companies. Those partnerships help us provide readers with the best promotions and bonus offers these companies provide, and in some cases those offers are exclusive to our sites.

This model differs from sites where any company wishing to promote its products can buy space and place ads. We do not solicit such advertising, which consequently means we carefully curate the advertising that appears on PlayCA. That includes limiting our affiliate partnerships to companies that offer wholly legal and regulated gambling.

None of our affiliate partners, however, have any influence on any content that appears on PlayCA. Our commitment to objective and truthful reporting on California gambling precludes any outside editorial input from affiliate partners or anyone else.

Advertising policy

As noted, all advertising on PlayCA comes via our affiliate partnerships. As a result, while we appreciate the interest of those wishing to advertise on the site, we do not accept any advertising offers from external sources at PlayCA, nor do we offer advertising contracts.

Your feedback

We at PlayCA sincerely hope you find the site an informative and reliable resource. We encourage you to bookmark us and return often as news breaks regarding the evolving California gambling landscape.

We are always open to feedback, suggestions, advice, corrections, or anything else you’d like to share. Looking for something having to do with California gambling and can’t find it here? Let us know! Contact us via email by clicking here.