handWager.com have been granted a California gaming licence.

A subsidiary of sports betting and pool wagering providers Webis, the site have received approval for a multi-jurisdictional Advanced Deposit Wagering licence from the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB).

The licence will allow WatchandWager.com to take bets from California residents on all content for which the site have agreements with the host track and the racing breed in question.

Watch and Wager's licensed operation at Cal Expo in Sacramento means that agreements are already in place for standardbred racing, with agreements with thoroughbred and quarter horse racing content providers now sought as a result of the licence award.

Licensed wagering can commence on 6 September 2013, 90 days from the date of application.

Webis pari-mutuel operations director Ed Comins said: "It is fantastic to break into the Californian market.

“Watch and Wager will have access to a population of more than 38 million people and one of the strongest economies in the world.

“This licence approval also represents another significant step forward in our overall US development strategy and is evidence of the status we now have as a business to be accepted by regulatory bodies as prestigious as the CHRB.”