There was nothing in Federal law that forbid gambling, so operators of floating gambling casinos merely had to anchor just outside the three mile limit. Although it was illegal to conduct a gambling operation in California, the state’s jurisdiction only extended three miles offshore. From Los Angeles Daily News Collection at UCLA Library.ġ928 saw the appearance of the first of the gambling ships off the Los Angeles County coastline. The gambling ship Rex resists boarding by a California Fish & Game officers in Santa Monica Bay. Court & Vital Records from Orange County, CA.Postal Zip Code Look-up for Los Angeles County.The Los Angeles Basin - A Huge Bowl of Sand.Can a Volcanic Eruption Occur in Los Angeles?.