California judge blocks Attorney General from eliminating blackjack from cardrooms

A California judge has blocked Attorney General Rob Bonta and the state's Bureau of Gambling Control (BGC) from regulatory changes that would all but end blackjack-style games. This preliminary injunction ensures that blackjack tables will continue running at cardrooms as they have for decades. This is important since Californians can't just turn to legal casino apps like BetMGM to play blackjack. Sign up at BetMGM Casino in MI, NJ, PA, or WV with code SPORTSLINE2500 and get up to $2,500 in casino credits + 100 bonus spins:

Backed by Bonta, the BGC created a new set of regulations for cardroom-based blackjack games. These rules went into effect on April 1, 2026, and were set to be enforced on June 1.

However, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Richard Darwin ruled in favor of the California Gaming Association (CGA), which claimed that the Bureau and Bonta exceeded their authority. The ruling blocks enforcement while litigation is still active.

Judge Darwin noted that the CGA is likely to win its legal argument, citing that the BGC doesn't have unlimited authority over the gaming market under the California Gambling Control Act.

"What is clear is that the rulemaking power claimed by the Bureau isn't found in the act," said Darwin.

He added that the new regulations would likely cause irreparable harm to cardrooms and their local economies.

Under the BGC's and Bonta's proposed rule changes, "Any game of blackjack shall not be approved for play." 

House-banked games at tribal casinos would be exempt, but cardroom tables would be prohibited if they meet the following conditions:

Cardrooms would have to drastically alter the format of their games to avoid this broad definition. That would essentially create an entirely new card game, one that the public may not be interested in.

The BGC rule changes would essentially eliminate cardroom-based blackjack tables. They would also reduce opportunities for Californians seeking the best blackjack odds.

Under the 1999 law, Proposition 1A, federally recognized tribes have exclusive rights to house-banked casino card games like blackjack. However, cardrooms like the Commerce Casino (Commerce) and Gardens Casino (Hawaiian Gardens) found a legal workaround to these laws long ago.

They use licensed third-party proposition players (TPPPs), which act as the bank at every cardroom-based blackjack game in the state. Players can also act as the house, but most of them don't have the bankrolls to do so. 

This is why TPPPs are crucial for facilitating games because they have the finances to bankroll the action. By using TPPPs, cardrooms aren't technically serving as the house or violating state gaming laws. They're letting "players" bank the blackjack tables.

This system is much more convoluted than states like Pennsylvania and Michigan, where blackjack online real money games are available. No TPPPs or player bankers are needed since legal casino apps like DraftKings serve as the bank.

CA tribal casinos have long argued that the cardroom model is illegal and merely a path to offering house-banked games. However, cardrooms have been doing this for so long that they now generate hundreds of millions of dollars for local communities. They also employ thousands of workers, which helps garner support from certain political and economic interests.

Ultimately, it would be best if California legalized online casino games for real money to give players more standard blackjack options. But in the absence of that, cardrooms provide additional blackjack options and have a positive economic impact on certain towns and cities. Sign up at DraftKings Casino through this link and get 1,000 bonus spins when you play $5+ in WV, PA, NJ, or MI:

Bettors must be 21 years or older and otherwise eligible to register and place wagers at online casinos. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, please seek assistance from trained professionals such as the Problem Gambling Help Network at 1-800-MY-RESET.

Jeremy Olson