California Tribal Casinos & Indian Gaming | 2024 News Archive

California Casinos War 2025 | Tribes vs. Cardrooms

October 1, 2024

Major changes to the types of games played at California cardrooms will be coming next year, as a result of Gov. Gavin Newsom signing a bill this week to allow California tribes to sue cardrooms that play blackjack and other house-banked card games.

California tribes were given exclusive rights to all house-banked casino games in the state when voters approved Proposition 1A in 2000. Since then, many state-licensed card casinos have challenged that gaming right by operating blackjack, baccarat, pai gow poker, and casino hold'em, a house-backed version of Texas hold'em.

California tribes could not sue cardrooms that play house-backed card games, because tribes are sovereign governments, they do not have jurisdictional standing to file these cases in state courts.

The bill signed this week by Gov. Newsom is Senate Bill 549, aka "Gaming: Tribal Nations Access to Justice Act". The bill allows tribes to sue state-licensed card clubs and third-party proposition player services providers for operating illegal card games. Lawsuits can only seek injunctions or declaratory relief, and not monetary damages, penalties, or attorney fees. The filing deadline is by April 1, 2025.

California's Top 10 Luckiest Casinos | Casinos.com

May 11, 2024

The "Top 10 Luckiest Casinos in California" have been compiled by casino.com. The publication analyzed data from TripAdvisor reviews to determine the number and frequency of keywords and phrases expressing "lucky". The keywords "lucky, luck, won, winning, success, jackpot, hand pay, winner, bonus, and profit".

California's Top 10 Luckiest Casinos

1. Yaamava' Resort & Casino
   San Bernardino County
   Highland, CA 92346

2. Jamul Casino
   San Diego County
   Jamul, CA 91935

3. Lucky 7 Casino & Hotel
   Del Norte County
   Smith River, California 95567

4. Chumash Casino Resort
   Santa Barbara County
   Santa Ynez, California 93460

5. Cache Creek Casino Resort
   Yolo County
   Brooks, California 95606

6. Graton Resort & Casino
   Sonoma County
   Rohnert Park, CA 94928

7. Thunder Valley Casino Resort
   Placer County
   Lincoln, CA 95648

8. Sycuan Casino Resort
   San Diego County
   

9. Barona Resort & Casino
   San Diego County
   Lakeside, California 92040

10. Morongo Casino Resort & Spa
    Riverside County
    Cabazon, California 92230

For more information about these results and the methodology, read the original article at casino.com.