Media Coverage

Judge shuts down California tribes’ latest bid to crush their casino rivals

Over the years, casino-owning tribes have spent millions in court, in the Legislature and at the ballot box trying unsuccessfully to force their only competitors out of California’s casino business.
Ryan Sabalow. Los Angeles Times. October 11, 2025.

Golden State showdown: A look inside the lawsuit between California tribes and cardrooms

California tribes and cardrooms have been battling for years regarding the cardrooms’ use of third-party providers. With the courts now involved, there is no telling what might happen.
Jess Marquez. IGB. June 4, 2025.

Scoop: California tribes sue to ban private casino "banked" games

California’s Native American tribes are seeking to stop non-tribally owned casinos from offering Las Vegas-style card games like blackjack in a legal challenge that could dramatically upend the state’s gambling industry.
Russell Contreras. Axios. January 2, 2025.

California Tribes May Sue Small Casinos, Putting Them in Peril

A new state law allows tribes to file suit against gambling venues they don’t operate, potentially shuttering them and jeopardizing local tax revenue.
Kurtis Lee. The New York Times. October 24, 2024.

SB549 deals Valley cities a bad hand. Gov. Newsom should veto it.

BizFed Central Valley CEO Clint Olivier argues SB549 unfairly targets regulated cardrooms and undermines the authority of California’s top cop.
Clint Olivier. The San Joaquin Valley Sun. September 12, 2024.

Protests Build Against California Tribes Challenge To Card Rooms

Protests by gambling workers have erupted in the California capital, Sacramento, against a controversial legislative bill that would allow Tribal gaming groups to challenge commercial card rooms in the state.
iGamingFuture. July 10, 2024.

High stakes: Inside the multimillion-dollar battle for gambling rights in California

California’s powerful tribal casinos and their longtime rivals, privately owned gambling halls, are spending huge sums of money to influence lawmakers. The legislative fight could reshape the state’s multi-billion dollar gambling industry.
Ryan Sabalow and Jeremia Kimelman. Cal Matters. March 27, 2024.

Sen. Josh Newman’s SB 549 Would Kill Cardroom Jobs

A job-killing bill is lurking in the California Assembly, threatening the livelihoods of hard-working people in communities across California and Los Angeles County. Senator Josh Newman’s Senate Bill 549 would put tens of thousands of cardroom and local government jobs at risk and deprive many cities of their main source of tax revenue.
Shavon Moore-Cage. Los Cerritos News. February 17, 2024.