CA Bill Passes Allowing Tribal Casinos to Sue Cardrooms

Earlier this month, California bill SB549 moved swiftly through the  Assembly Appropriations Committee, and now the bill, also known as the Tribal Nations Access to Justice Act, has passed in the California Senate with a 32-2 vote. 

Pending a signature from Governor Gavin Newsom, tribal casinos will be able to sue cardrooms if they believe they’re breaking the law, which gives tribal casinos exclusivity over banked games. 

The Bill Passes With Ease

Over the course of this legislative process, the Tribal Nations Access to Justice Act has moved swiftly through the appropriate channels. 

In July, it passed through the Governmental Organization Committee with a 14-1 vote. On Aug. 15, it passed in the Assembly Appropriations Committee 14-0. 

Now, it’s passed in the California Senate 32-2 and is awaiting one final signature to make it law. 

Revisiting This Bill

We covered this bill after the 14-0 vote in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, and now it appears to have become law. 

The point of this bill was for tribal casinos to have a period in which they could sue cardrooms they suspected of breaking the law per the Califonia Constitution which provides tribal casinos with exclusive rights to banked card games in the state. 

The tribal casinos suspect that these cardrooms may be hiring third-party services to act as the bank, which is a loophole to the current law that’s in place. 

This Bill Could Impact Jobs

According to the California Gaming Association, this passage could impact up to 32,000 jobs as cardrooms may need to close or downsize. 

“This bill will only throw government budgets into uncertainty and make a mockery of our judicial system,” according to a statement from the CGA editorial board days after the bill received a 14-0 vote in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. “Weaponizing the legislative process so that one special interest group can try to drive out perceived competition is silly on its face.”