A coalition of tribes and cardrooms applauded bipartisan passage of Assembly Bill 341 by the California State Assembly, saying the measure allows for the measured growth of the state’s cardroom industry.

Passed by a 68-1 vote of the Assembly yesterday, AB341 will reenact a moratorium on new cardroom licenses that had been established by The Gambling Control Act of 1997 while also allowing for growth at the state’s existing cardrooms.

With this approval, the bipartisan bill now heads to the California State Senate.

The Gambling Control Act of 1997 included provisions sponsored by the cardroom industry that prohibited California from issuing new cardroom licenses or allowing existing cardrooms to add gaming tables in order to manage the expansion of gaming in the state. The moratorium was periodically extended by the Legislature until it expired on January 1, 2023 due to timing constraints.