A San Francisco Superior Court judge has temporarily stopped California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s proposed cardroom regulations from taking effect, handing an early victory to cardroom operators fighting the state over blackjack-style games and other popular offerings.
Judge Richard Darwin issued a preliminary injunction that freezes enforcement while the California Gaming Association’s lawsuit continues. The association said the court determined the Bureau of Gambling Control likely exceeded its authority by approving rules that could effectively outlaw games cardrooms have offered for years.
According to the association, the judge also found “clear and convincing evidence” that enforcing the regulations would cause serious and irreversible damage to both gambling businesses and the cities that rely on their tax revenue.
The legal fight has become one of the biggest gambling disputes in California, where tribal casinos and licensed cardrooms have spent years battling over the limits of state gaming law. Tribal groups backed the proposed regulations and argued they were necessary to rein in games they believe illegally resemble casino-style blackjack.
Attorney General Bonta’s California cardroom rules blocked as economic concerns take center stage
Cardroom operators argue the proposed rules would dramatically reshape the industry by removing blackjack-style games and placing tighter restrictions on longstanding table games already monitored by state regulators. The California Gaming Association said the attorney general’s own economic review projected losses exceeding half of statewide cardroom revenue if the regulations were enforced.
Industry representatives say those losses could trigger widespread layoffs while reducing local funding tied to gaming taxes. Cities across California depend on cardroom revenue to support police departments, fire services, parks, and youth programs.
This has unfolded alongside separate legal battles involving California tribes seeking greater authority to challenge cardroom operations in court. Recent court rulings blocked some tribal attempts to directly sue cardrooms.
Gaming law expert I. Nelson Rose previously told ReadWrite that California’s crackdown on blackjack-style games could carry major consequences for the industry because those games generate significant customer traffic and revenue for cardrooms. Operators say eliminating them would threaten businesses that have legally operated under multiple administrations for decades.
The California Gaming Association said labor groups, local officials, and city governments repeatedly warned regulators about the economic fallout before the rules were finalized. The organization also said more than 1,700 public comments opposing the changes were submitted during the rulemaking process.
Kyle Kirkland, president of the California Gaming Association, welcomed the ruling in a statement following the decision.
“Today’s ruling validates what we have said all along: Attorney General Bonta and the Bureau of Gambling Control exceeded their authority by attempting to rewrite California gaming law. These regulations were driven by pressure from powerful tribal gaming interests that have long sought to eliminate lawful competition from California’s cardrooms,” Kirkland said.
“Cardrooms have lawfully operated the games targeted by these regulations for decades. Our games support thousands of middle-class jobs and generate critical revenue for communities across California. Instead of protecting those communities, Attorney General Bonta chose to advance regulations that threaten local economies, public safety funding, and the livelihoods of thousands of Californians,” he added.
Kirkland also called the ruling “an important step towards preventing severe and unnecessary harm to cities, workers, and small businesses that depend on the cardroom industry.”
Featured image: Canva / California State Assembly
