California’s ‘blackjack ban’ in card houses could jeopardize ‘thousands of working families’ and cost millions, experts warn
New card game ban goes into effect in weeks in US state
- New regulations in California, effective April, will prohibit card rooms from offering blackjack, closing a long-standing loophole.
- Historically, card rooms circumvented state laws, which reserve "banked" games like blackjack for Native American tribal casinos, by using "third-party player-dealers".
- The updated rules will make it impossible for these contracted player-dealers to act as permanent dealers, requiring frequent rotation among all players at a table.
- The California Gaming Association warns that these changes will severely impact the industry, potentially halving its 20,000-strong workforce and significantly reducing the $500 million in annual tax revenue for state and local governments.
- While card room operators and local authorities express concern over economic devastation, representatives of tribal casinos, who have long sought these restrictions, have welcomed the new regulations.
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