Native American Tribes allege that card rooms are engaging in illegal gambling by offering games such as pai gow, baccarat and blackjack
After arguing for years federally recognized Native American Tribes and card rooms in California will soon be able to resolve a major dispute. The prime issue of the Tribes is with the card rooms’ offering of certain table games such as poker and blackjack.
The Tribes previously argued that such games cannot be offered by card rooms across California as they are banked games, which are banned under the state’s constitution. While Tribes are exempt from that ban, card rooms have found a way to circumvent it by offering players the ability to act as a bank.
Now, a number of Tribes have filed a lawsuit against card rooms in the state, seeking a court decision on the matter.
Card Rooms “Brazenly Profit from Illegal Gambling,” Lawsuit Claims
Represented by Keker, Van Nest & Peters, the Tribes filed the lawsuit with the Superior Court in California on Thursday, January 2, 2025. The legal claim follows a bill greenlighted by lawmakers that enabled Tribal operators to take their issues with card rooms to court. The aforementioned proposal, Senate Bill 549, was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, allowing the Tribes to turn to the court for a decision on the matter, starting from January 1, 2025. The aforementioned bill was described in the lawsuit as the “Tribal Nations Access to Justice Act.”
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https://www.gamblingnews.com/news/tribes-in-california-take-legal-action-against-card-rooms/
