For decades, California Indian Country has claimed cardrooms violate tribes’ exclusivity to offer house-banked card games. In late 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 549, which allowed the tribes one chance to sue the cardrooms and settle the issue. The tribes did, but a district court judge dismissed the case last October, saying that federal law preempts the new state law.
The tribes plan to take their case to the Third District Court of Appeals.
Score one for the cardrooms.
But this February, Attorney General Rob Bonta released new cardroom regulations that appeared to favor Indian Country. The regulations limit the type of blackjack-style and other card games cardrooms may offer and changes the way third-party proposition players can operate.
