California tribes could sue privately-owned cardrooms if they claim the cardrooms violate their rights. Indian Country has exclusive rights to Las Vegas style casino gambling in California. This bill is currently in the General Assembly.
Protesters carried banners with the words “No to SB 549! “, and “Bad Bet for California.” The crowd also chanted “We’re Not Fine with 549”. The crowd listened as local politicians and representatives from the city spoke about how this bill would harm California’s cardrooms.
Marcel Rodarte said, “SB549 will harm many cities that have cardrooms in their community.” The cardrooms in our cities are a vital part as they create jobs.
It is a dispute over the formats of some games. The question is whether cardrooms circumvent the ban on them acting as “house” and “bank”.
California Cardrooms Say Jobs Will Be Lost
California Gambling Association estimated SB 549’s passage could result in the loss of 32,000 jobs. The legislation may force California cardrooms to close and reduce their size. The cardrooms are strongly opposed to the bill.
In 2023, the Hawaiian Gardens Casino located in Los Angeles County will spend $9.1 millions on lobbying. This is the second-highest sum reported by any lobbying groups to the state regulators. The international oil company Chevron Corporation was the biggest spender.
Tasha Cereda, the Mayor of Gardena City, said during the protest, “Our cardrooms are the foundation of our community. They provide essential tax services, which our city utilizes to fund important public services, allowing us to improve the quality of life of our residents.” Our cardrooms are home to over 1,200 Gardena residents as well as individuals in the surrounding areas. This is over $47,000,000 in annual wages.
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