New regulations are coming to California card rooms, game rooms that allow gambling, like Limelight Bar, Cafe & Cardroom and Capitol Casino in Sacramento.
California law forbids businesses from operating “banked” games, like traditional blackjack and baccarat, where the house is pit against players, except on tribal land.
For years, card rooms have instead used “player-dealers,” who are employed by third parties, and played “California Blackjack” or “Blackjack 21.5” — versions virtually indistinguishable from the original game. Operators of tribal casinos have complained consistently that the games are workarounds and should be outlawed.
The new regulations would do just that: rolling back allowed games and putting stricter limits on the player-dealer game style.
