Blackjack Ban Battle Grows as California Cities Join Lawsuit
Posted on: May 4, 2026, 05:43h.
Last updated on: May 4, 2026, 05:43h.
- Judge allows cities to join legal fight over blackjack ban
- New rules could slash cardroom revenue and city funding
- Industry warns regulations may dismantle California cardroom model
A California Superior Court judge will allow a coalition of cardroom host cities to weigh in on a legal challenge to Attorney General Rob Bonta’s blackjack ban.
In granting the California Cities Gaming Authority’s (CCGA) request for an amicus brief (friend of the court), the judge will ensure that the cities of Gardena, Inglewood, and Colma will have an opportunity to voice their opposition to Bonta’s new rules, which they argue could severely impact municipal budgets and harm local economies across California.
For years, California’s politically powerful tribal casino operators have challenged cardrooms over so-called “California games” – modified versions of table staples like blackjack and pai gow poker – arguing that they encroach on tribes’ exclusive rights to run house-banked casino games.
Don’t Call It Blackjack
Bonta’s new regulations effectively ban cardrooms from offering blackjack and other player-dealer games in their current form. Among other restrictions, they prohibit branding any game with the number 21 or the word “blackjack.”
The regulations took effect April 1, but enforcement is being phased in over several months as cardrooms seek approval to modify their games.
Under the new rules, players will no longer be able to “bust.” Instead, each hand will be decided by comparing it to the player-dealer’s hand, and a traditional blackjack – an ace paired with a 10-value card – will no longer result in an automatic win.
The regulations also require the player-dealer to be a seated participant, with the role offered at the start of every hand and rotated to at least two other players every 40 minutes or the game must stop.
Cardrooms say the changes will cut into profits by slowing gameplay, forcing pauses when dealer rotations stall, and removing blackjack-style features that typically increase game volume and player losses.
Rules Will ‘Dismantle Industry’
In March, California’s cardroom industry sued Bonta, calling the restrictions an “unprecedented power grab” and warning of “disastrous” economic consequences for city hosts, which rely on gambling revenue to fund essential services. Now, some of the cities most directly impacted will be able to address the court directly.
“These regulations don’t just change the rules, they threaten to dismantle an entire industry and cause real, irreparable harm these regulations will have on our cities.” Tasha Cerda, Chair of the CCGA and Mayor of the City of Gardena, told Casino.org in a statement.
“For our cities, that means millions of dollars disappearing from local budgets, forcing cuts to public safety and community services, and putting working families at risk,” she added.
Gardena is one of the historic hubs of California cardrooms and is currently home to the Hustler Casino and Larry Flint’s Lucky Lady. The city relies on those establishments for 11% of its general fund.
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