A new bill that would alter California’s cardrooms has drawn plenty of outrage.
California’s Native American tribes believe that California cardrooms are violating their exclusive rights to Las Vegas-style gaming. Senate Bill 549 would let the tribes go after these cardrooms, but these establishments aren’t going down without a fight.
Last week, protestors gathered to speak out against this bill. Cardroom proponents believe they do have a right to offer legal gaming, and this bill would threaten their jobs.
“SB 549 is a bill that will negatively harm many of our cities who have cardrooms located in their communities,” California Contracts Cities Association Executive Director Mecel Rodarte said at the protest. “Cardrooms are an integral part of our cities as they provide jobs — well-paying jobs — to our residents and members of the surrounding communities.”
Here’s a closer look at the bill, the protest, and where things currently stand.
A closer look at the bill and what it means for California cardrooms and tribes
In short, the bill — tabbed as the Tribal Nations Access to Justice Act — would allow for California’s Native American tribes to go after cardrooms within the state.
The state’s tribes believe they have exclusivity to card gaming within California. In their eyes, California’s cardrooms are depleting their business.
This bill would essentially kill cardrooms in the state. The latest amendment reads:
“This bill would authorize a California Indian tribe, under certain conditions, to bring an action solely against licensed California card clubs and third-party proposition player services providers to seek a declaration as to whether a controlled game operated by a licensed California card club and banked by a third-party proposition player services provider constitutes a banking card game that violates state law and tribal gaming exclusivity under Section 19 of Article IV of the California Constitution and a tribal-state gaming compact or secretarial procedures”
Who exactly protested this California bill?
Cardroom employees and local mayors led the charge at this protest.
City of Gardena Mayor Tasha Cerda said that cardrooms are “the backbone” of her community during the protest. According to her, the city’s two cardrooms have more than 1,200 employees, which results in close to $47 million in wages each year.
“They will provide vital tax services that our city uses to fund vital public services, which allow us to provide a better quality of life for our residnts and communities,” said Cerda.
It’s worth noting that the California Gambling Association believes that should SB 549 pass, it would eliminate 32,000 jobs across the state.
This wasn’t the first protest, either. Other mayors from areas like Bell Gardens, City of Commerce, Compton and Hawaiian Gardens all appeared at demonstrations in June protesting this bill. Other protests surfaced in December of last year.
This also isn’t the first time a bill like this has come up.
Two years ago, Proposition 26 would have given the tribes control over the roulette and dice games within California. More importantly, it would have handed the tribes authority over what the state’s cardrooms could offer. Voters ultimately rejected it, though.
Where does this cardroom bill currently stand?
This bill was first introduced in February 2023. Since then, it has been read many times and recently amended.
The most recent amendment came on June 12 of this year.
As of now, the bill sits in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The California Assembly Governmental Organizational Committee voted 15-1 to pass the bill, which sent it to where it currently resides as of July 3.