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(AsiaGameHub) –   A court has overruled Attorney General Rob Bonta, blocking his proposed measures to restrict California cardrooms.

Bonta first introduced the restrictions, which included a ban on blackjack, last year. The California Gaming Association (CGA) challenged the legality of the new rules by filing a lawsuit against Bonta.

On Thursday, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Richard Darwin ruled that Bonta’s office “likely exceeded its authority by adopting regulations that effectively act as a statewide ban on some of the cardroom’s most popular table games. The Court also found clear and convincing evidence that the Bureau’s enforcement of the regulations would irreparably injure cardrooms and their communities.”

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— CA Gaming Association (@CACardRooms) May 21, 2026

Judge Darwin issued a preliminary injunction in favor of the CGA, allowing the cardrooms to continue operating as usual while the case remains pending.

Ruling Saves Jobs and Revenue, Says CGA

“The Court’s ruling is an important step towards preventing severe and unnecessary harm to cities, workers, and small businesses that depend on the cardroom industry,” said Kyle Kirkland, President of the CGA.

Kirkland owns and operates the Club One Casino in Fresno, where 60% of revenue comes from player-dealer games and 20% from blackjack. The outright ban on blackjack eliminates 20% of the establishment’s business and leaves 40% at risk due to new player-deal rotation rules.

“These are easily the most disruptive set of regulations that I have seen during my tenure in the cardroom industry, which spans two decades now,” Kirkland told the Sacramento Bee. “I’m not sure most cardrooms would survive because this is such a drastic change.”

Cardroom workers staged a protest outside a hotel in Sacramento where Bonta was scheduled to speak on Thursday. The workers held signs that read “No cardrooms, no jobs,” while other signs unrelated to the issue, such as “Don’t defund the police” and “Don’t defund fire,” were also visible.

What Were The Proposals?

Bonta’s proposal focused on two key aspects of cardroom operations:

• Player-dealer rotation: Only players seated at the table — not third-party proposition player service employees — may act as the dealer. Players must rotate every 20 minutes.
• Blackjack-style games: The rules would prohibit using “21” as a target number, remove “busting,” eliminate blackjack terminology, and alter tie outcomes.

Cardrooms argue that these changes would make blackjack-style games commercially unviable, effectively removing some of the industry’s most popular offerings.

What Next?

The ruling is only temporary, with the next hearing scheduled for June 30. Tribal groups have actively contested cardroom expansion into what they claim are tribal exclusive games.

James Siva, Chairman of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA), praised the regulations as an “important step” to combat “unscrupulous and illegal gaming in California.”

Tribes have attempted to halt cardrooms from offering these games through various means, but efforts have so far been unsuccessful. A judge in Sacramento ruled against tribes that had filed lawsuits against cardrooms last year.

In her ruling, Judge Lauri A. Damrell stated that the tribes’ suit was “preempted by the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA)” and that “severance cannot resolve IGRA preemption.”

Bonta has supported tribal exclusivity for gaming, declaring DFS illegal last year, and has also attempted to restrict cardrooms. Siva also mentioned that Bonta is considering action against prediction markets.

“We are very protective of our sovereignty,” Bonta told Business Insider last month. He indicated that he “firmly disagrees” with the CFTC’s stance that federal laws preempt states from regulating prediction markets.

“The fact that we haven’t sued, I think you should not read too much into it,” he added.

Tribal groups are significant contributors to Bonta’s political campaigns, as reported by Politico.