After California approved restrictions on cardroom games on February 6, 2026, the California Gaming Association (CGA), the California Cardroom Alliance, and Communities for California Cardrooms filed two lawsuits against Attorney General Rob Bonta. The lawsuits seek to block the approved regulations that were introduced by the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Gambling Control, as the
After California approved restrictions on cardroom games on February 6, 2026, the California Gaming Association (CGA), the California Cardroom Alliance, and Communities for California Cardrooms filed two lawsuits against Attorney General Rob Bonta.
The lawsuits seek to block the approved regulations that were introduced by the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Gambling Control, as the new rules are supposed to become effective on April 1, 2026, with cardrooms having to submit compliance plans by May 31, 2026.
CGA president Kyle Kirkland stressed:
“Attorney General Bonta’s regulations threaten to eliminate more than half of California’s cardroom jobs and wipe out a critical source of revenue for dozens of cities. These games have operated legally for decades under multiple attorneys general, yet one public official is now moving to shut them down without identifying a single public safety concern or addressing the 1,764 public comments about these regulations.”
It’s estimated that cardrooms could lose around $464 million in annual revenue, and over 50% of employment would be cut, which means a loss of an average of 364 full-time jobs.
The lawsuits also noted the economic effect of the ban, as many local governments rely on cardroom tax revenue, with bigger cities like Fresno and San Jose also facing huge revenue losses.