The chairman of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association has penned a detailed criticism of commercially operated card rooms in the state, pointing out the alleged unconstitutionality of the operations.
In an op-ed for Tribal Gaming and Hospitality, James Siva calls for formal rulings from California courts on whether “certain controlled games operated by California card clubs are banking card games that violate California law and infringe upon tribal exclusive gaming rights.”
At stake is whether the commercial card rooms, which have grown from informal games in local public venues into full-fledged multi-table poker and other casino-style games, violate state law that grants exclusive gaming rights to tribal nations.
