BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — In early February, Attorney General Rob Bonta announced regulations on California casinos banning traditional card games like blackjack.
In response, the state’s cardroom industry filed two lawsuits last week, and on Monday, requested an injunction of relief to hold off any changes until legal matters are settled.
The changes take effect Wednesday, but casinos have until July 1 to comply. Kyle Kirkland, president of the California Gambling Association, believes the changes are unreasonable.
“It’s like going to you and saying, ‘Hey if I cut off one leg and one arm, how are you doing?’ It’s a pretty significant impact,” said Kirkland.
That’s because cardrooms rely heavily on profits from traditional card games.
According to the Attorney General’s own assessment, the regulations would eliminate at least 50% of cardroom jobs and revenue.
Kirkland thinks it could be much more.
“Fifty, sixty, seventy percent of our revenue is dramatic,” he said. “We have to rethink how we operate and that also has a significant cascade effect in terms of jobs and tax revenue to cities.”
A caveat is that casinos on tribal land, like the Hard Rock Casino Tejon, won’t be affected, but according to the CBA, more than 70 cardrooms and 20,000 workers across the state, will be.
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“The impact is dramatic both in terms of the people that work in cardrooms, the communities that we support,” said Kirkland.
In Kern County, Golden West Casino is the only casino not on tribal land, and declined to comment on how these changes could affect their casino floor.
It’s clear however, that cardrooms across the state are prepared to go all in, and fight back against these regulations.
“No we’re not going to roll over and die,” said Kirkland.
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