California Judge Strikes Down State Cardroom Blackjack Regulations, Handing Win to Card Clubs

A San Francisco Superior Court judge has struck down a set of California gambling regulations that would have imposed severe restrictions on blackjack-style games and player-dealer positions at licensed cardrooms across the state. Judge Richard Darwin ruled June 30 that the California Bureau of Gambling Control lacked the statutory authority to issue the statewide regulations, handing a significant victory to the California Gaming Association and its members.

The rules, announced by Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office in February, targeted how cardrooms operate games that mimic traditional casino blackjack. Because tribal gaming compacts give California tribes exclusive rights to house-banked games, cardrooms have long relied on third-party proposition player services — state-licensed businesses that supply players to rotate into the dealer position at each table.

What the Blocked Rules Would Have Required

Under the now-struck-down regulations, player-dealer positions would have been required to rotate away from a table every 40 minutes, at which point “the game shall end” and all wagers and cards would need to be cleared. The rules also would have effectively banned traditional blackjack scoring, eliminating the automatic win for a hand totaling 21 and instead determining winners by whichever remaining player’s point total came closest to beating the player-dealer’s hand.

The regulations were slated to take effect April 1, but the San Francisco Superior Court issued a preliminary injunction blocking them while the California Gaming Association’s lawsuit worked its way through the system. Darwin’s ruling found squarely in the association’s favor, stating plainly that “the bureau did not have the authority to issue statewide regulations.”

What Comes Next

Bonta’s office said in response that it was “disappointed in the ruling” and is reviewing its options, though it remains unclear whether the state will appeal. For now, the ruling preserves the status quo for California’s card club industry, which has fought off similar legal and legislative challenges from tribal gaming interests for years over the legality of player-dealer games. The dispute underscores the long-running tension between the state’s cardroom operators and tribal casinos over who can legally offer house-banked-style card games to California bettors.