More than 100 Los Angeles-based cardroom employees and supporters recently gathered to protest a bill outside the office of Democratic state Senator, Josh Newman.
The bill, which is known as the Senate Bill 549, would allow Indian casinos to sue cardroom operators who they claim are operating “banking card games” in violation of tribal gaming exclusivity. At the moment, Tribal casinos are unable to file civil actions against cardrooms.
Federally recognized Tribes can offer slot machines, lottery games and “banked" card games, while cardrooms are only able to provide “player-dealer” games.
The main concern from those opposing the bill is that this could lead to job losses, as well as revenue losses and that it is just a way for casinos to halt too much competition from cardrooms affecting their business.
Currently, the bill is before the Assembly Rules Committee and, even if it does gaing approval, it will likely not take effect before early next year.
President of the California Cardroom Alliance, Keith Sharp, said the bill is “a thinly veiled attempt to close down cardrooms by the same few wealthy tribes who have failed in their repeated attempts to shut us down for years.”
Executive Assistant to the City Manager of Hawaiian Gardens, Shavon Moore-Cage, added: “The tax revenue we get from our cardroom represents 68% of our city’s general fund.
“For other cities, that might be 18% to 40%, but we are a worst-case scenario. This money funds public safety, after-school programs, senior services and fire services.”
Tribal and regulatory disagreements are commonplace in California right now...
