BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — State-licensed cardrooms in California must comply with strict new regulations regarding blackjack and other non-poker games by June 1 or risk losing the games entirely.
The new regulations, announced by State Attorney General Rob Bonta in February, consist of two main parts. First, state-licensed cardrooms will no longer be able to offer blackjack-style games. Second, other popular non-poker games will undergo dramatic changes.
The shift represents a 180-degree change from the rules of the past two decades, leaving casinos worried about their revenue and clientele.
"I think it’s a pretty dramatic change for our guest. But it’s also very disruptive for the industry. We got $2 billion of revenue comes from the cardroom industry. Around 20,000 statewide and about a half billion dollars of value to state and local jurisdictions in terms of tax revenue," said Kyle Kirkland, President of the California Gaming Association.
The California Gaming Association has filed an injunction seeking more time to present its case in court.
"We’re basically saying, 'Your honor, push pause on these regulations till we have a chance to understand.' If we actually go through the process of laying off everyone and cutting back. That's a pretty dramatic permanent change. You got a hard ripple effect, through a lot of Southern California communities with no real showing of harm," Kirkland said.
Kirkland adds if the regulation goes into full effect, the economic setback will be devastating for dealers, with some having to learn a whole new trade.
"You know a lot of folks here who have been with us for decades. They know how to deal with these games, we trained them and gave them a great job. Basically, able to live life, now we’re saying, 'Oh sorry!' Now your life is going to be upended," Kirkland said.
Casinos have until June 1 to submit their new modifications to the games. The State Attorney General's office was contacted for comment, but did not respond before publication.
This story was reported onair by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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