Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed Senate Bill 549 into law, allowing several tribal nations in California to challenge the legality of community casinos offering table games.
According to representatives for the seven tribes, only tribal casinos in the state can offer real-money card games, like blackjack and baccarat. The tribal nations are now suing to stop local casinos from using a loophole in the law that allows state-licensed card rooms to offer the games mentioned above.
However, opponents of the lawsuit argue that a successful outcome would severely impact local communities.
Hawaiian Gardens, the smallest city in Los Angeles County, relies heavily on gaming revenue, which provides roughly 75% of Hawaiian Garden’s general funding through taxes.
Shavon Moore, who has worked in Hawaiian Gardens for eight years, noted the casino’s positive impact on the community. “The casino helps with the livelihood and the quality of life for the city,” she explained.
Dozens of casinos around the state generate tax revenue directly for their local communities.
Victor Furfan, a Hawaiian Garden City Council member for 16 years, emphasized the importance of the revenue raised from the casinos for local communities. “It’s not just Hawaiian Gardens; we’re talking 70 different communities up and down the state of California that benefit from card room revenue.”
Local California Casinos
According to the American Gaming Association, there are currently 87 Indian casinos in California. The casino industry employs roughly 184,701 Californians and has an economic impact of $34.5 billion.
Currently, all casinos are situated on federally recognized land, though some are pursuing off-reservation locations. Most casinos are in the northern and southern regions of the state and are typically outside major metropolitan areas. As a result, state-licensed card rooms have been benefiting from their more convenient locations.
Online Casinos In California
Online California casinos are exclusively offered by offshore sites operating online for years. Popular online casino games mirror what you find in tribal casinos, except they are played over a secure internet connection. Some of the most wagered-on casino games include blackjack, roulette, baccarat, video poker, slots, keno, and more. CA players can even access live dealer games to speak to the dealer over a secure audio and video feed.