Golden State Grievance: New Regulations for Card Rooms in California

California lawmakers have recently introduced new rules for blackjack and player dealers in card rooms, starting April 1st 2026. Card rooms must submit compliance plans to California’s Office of Administrative Law by May 31st 2026, but many oppose these changes. Read on for details on the new rules and their effects on the industry.

Blackjack No More

One of the most significant changes is the strict alterations to blackjack games. Card rooms will no longer be able to offer games with a bust feature, in which players lose if they go over 21. Winners will instead be determined by whether their total is close enough to the dealer’s total. Some of the other changes include:

• Target points can’t be 21.
• Players and dealers can no longer win by getting a natural 21.
• During a “push”, the player wins.
• Games can’t use the words “21” or “blackjack.”

These rules effectively ban blackjack, prompting a protest in October 2025. The Mayor of Compton, Emma Sharif, says cities across LA County rely on blackjack revenue to survive. Meanwhile, card rooms continue to protest these rules, having done so since 2023, when the changes were first discussed.

Changes to Player-Dealers

The second set of rules concerns player-dealers. Card rooms have faced scrutiny for years because they use third-party providers of proposition players (TPPPs). While these providers claim to be independent, they are often affiliated with the card room and are essentially the same as regular casino dealers. Changes to player-dealers include:

• The player-dealer must always be at the table, and every player gets an offer to be a dealer before each hand. Surveillance cameras monitor the game.
• A notice stating that any player can be the dealer must be posted. Dealers can’t win or lose more than they wager.
• The role must rotate to two people other than the TPPP every 40 minutes, or the game ends.
• If the TPPP is the dealer, another player must assume the role on the next rotation. Only one TPPP is allowed per table.
• TPPPs can only accept and settle wagers when they’re the dealers.

These changes are due to tribal casinos claiming card rooms violate tribal rights by offering casino games even if they’re not authorized. Governor Newsom even signed a bill that allowed tribes to sue card rooms in 2024. However, the lawsuit was dismissed in October 2025, and tribal casinos have since appealed the decision.

Protests and Opposition

These changes are yet another chapter in the long feud between tribes and card rooms. Both sides rely on gaming to support their communities and frequently argue over legal definitions. While tribes approve of the new rules as they protect exclusivity, card rooms oppose them as this is the only way they can compete with games offered by tribal casinos. Members of the California Gaming Association also speak out against the rules:

“The Bureau of Gambling Control advanced the regulations without any showing of legal necessity, or any public harm or safety risk caused by these popular games, which have been approved by AG Bonta’s predecessors and offered in cardrooms for decades.”

California Gaming Association

Card rooms are arguing that Indian tribes are influencing the government into making these changes. That led to the October protest, during which they picketed with “Monopoly”-themed signs. Meanwhile, the tribes claim that card rooms are offering illegal forms of gambling and that this is the right response. Card rooms are also among the state’s biggest lobbying clients and have supported Attorney General Rob Bonta, so it’s unlikely one side is being favored.

Other Regulations

One reason card rooms believe lawmakers are siding with tribes is the recent string of enforcement actions. During the summer of 2025, the state’s Attorney General Rob Bonta ruled that daily fantasy sports count as betting. That effectively bans daily fantasy from the state, which was another competitor for tribal casino revenue.

“We conclude that participants in both types of daily fantasy sports games – pick ’em and draft-style games – make ‘bets’ on sporting events in violation of section 337a.”

Attorney General Rob Bonta

Later in October, Governor Newsom also signed a bill that banned sweepstake sites which the California Nations Indian Gaming Association supported. Meanwhile, in 2022, the tribes successfully blocked a separate proposal for sports betting by commercial operators, as they were not part of the agreement.

Conclusion

While the new rules have been approved, California card rooms are still planning to oppose them, which may include legal action. However, April 1st is quickly approaching, so they don’t have much time. We will keep you updated on future developments.