Golden State cardroom employees and customers saw a huge development recently as it pertains to cardroom operations in the state. Per a recent report, California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s officelacked the authority to impose new state regulations on the cardroom industry, according to a ruling made by a San Francisco Superior Court judge. In this new development from a national outlet, Judge Richard Darwin on June 30thspecifically struck down a set of new regulations announced by the California Bureau of Gambling Control in February that would have imposed severe restrictions on player-dealer positions and blackjack-style games in dozens of California-licensed gambling establishments. “The bureau did not have the authority to issue statewide regulations,” Darwin said in a report with a national court outlet. Golden State officials tied to the case have weighed in on what this means and also in the future for the state’s gaming businesses.
In this article, SBS will be going over the latest gaming news coming from the Golden State, along with some additional notes and information you can only find here at SBS.
For decades, California cardrooms, which are state-licensed gambling establishments, have operated legally – around the state’s ban on “Las Vegas’ and tribal-casino style house system, which allows the “house” to bet money against a player. To do this, California cardrooms have used state-licensed businesses, called third-party proposition player services, that match cardrooms with players to fill empty seats at a table and ensure a game plays out smoothly. The new regulation would have required these “player-dealer positions” to rotate from a table every 40 minutes, or “the game shall end,” and required the table to clear all wages and cards.
Additionally, the new regulations would have banned “any game of blackjack” from being played at these establishments by removing the ability for players to automatically win if they had a winning hand of “the number 21.” Instead, the winning hand would be determined by which of the remaining players had the most points “compared to the total points of the player-dealer’s hand.” In response to these new regulations, the California Gaming Association filed a lawsuit in March, arguing that these new restrictions would significantly hurt the state’s cardroom industry.
In the complaint, the association argued that, under the state’s code, the Bureau of Gambling Control is responsible for enforcing the state’s gaming laws, “not rewriting them.” The new regulations, the report notes, were expected to take effect on April 1st, but the San Francisco Superior Court issued a preliminary injunction against them as the case moved through the court system. Ultimately, Judge Darwin ruled in favor of the California Gaming Association, reaffirming its argument that the Bureau of Gambling Control overreached by attempting to impose new regulations.
“For more than a year, we have said this case is about far more than gaming – it is about whether the Attorney General and his regulators can bypass the Legislature and unilaterally rewrite decades of established law,” Kyle Kirkland, the president of the California Gaming Association, said in a statement. In response to the decision, Bonta’s office noted that it was “disappointed in the ruling” and would be reviewing its options. It was unclear if the office will ultimately decide to appeal the decision.
The ruling, which followed Darwin’s temporary order in May, is the latest defeat for the state’s casino-owning Native American tribes. They have spent years and tens of millions of dollars unsuccessfully appealing to courts, voters, the Legislature and California regulators to put their only in-state competitors out of the blackjack business. The tribes contend cardrooms have unscrupulously violated state laws prohibiting anyone but tribal casinos from offering “house-banked,” Las Vegas-style table games including blackjack, the most lucrative. Meanwhile, cardroom operators say the ruling once again proves their business model is legal. It also ensures that the taxes cities receive from blackjack revenues will continue to support local government services and cardroom jobs.
While Kirkland was quoted in a handful of reports, James May, a spokesperson for California Nations Indian Gaming Association, did not return an interview request, at least per one report. As noted above, Bonta’s office said in an email that officials were disappointed in the ruling and are reviewing their options. Indeed, with another new ruling now in effect, it remains to be seen what the future of cardrooms in the state will look like. At least in the short-term, it looks very much preserved and will continue to operate on a normal scale.
After you are all up to speed in relation to the latest gaming news and notes coming from the Golden State, make sure to check out the excellent array of info for you only at SBS. Of course, for even more analysis on the state covered in this report, the California online betting sites rundown is a must-read resource that goes over the latest updates from the region. Conversely, for those interested in exploring some new options, at least as it pertains to sportsbooks, the BetOnline sportsbook review breakdown is a must-read guide. Here, eligible customers can explore the latest gambling updates coming from the site and see if it makes sense for them. Finally, for those looking to maximize their wagers, the best bonus betting sites guide is a fantastic resource that covers a catalogue of the latest welcome bonus offers.
About the Author
Chris Boline is a Reno-based business development professional and freelance sports writer with over a decade of experience covering the NBA G League, Los Angeles Chargers, and national football and basketball. His expertise spans the NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and motorsports, along with topical news, marketing, and promotional content. A proud University of Nevada graduate, Chris earned both his BS in Management & Economics (2015) and MBA (2023). He is active in the Reno community, serving on boards such as the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET, and the College of Business Alumni Association, where he was past president (2022–23). Notable honors include: - Two-time University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year honoree (2017, 2021) - 2021 NCET Professional Services Organization of the Year (with TAC) - 2016–17 Reno Bighorns MVP, awarded by the Sacramento Kings - Nevada Press Association Award for Best Sports Column (2015) - Former Editor-in-Chief of The Nevada Sagebrush Chris blends his passion for sports with a strong background in sales, marketing, and community engagement.
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