Legality
California Cardrooms have been playing card games like Pai Gow and Blackjack since 1983. These games have been repeatedly approved by court decisions and the California Department of Justice.
The games operated by California’s cardrooms, including Blackjack, have been authorized and approved by the Department of Justice and lawfully played since 1983.
Under California law, cardrooms offer all players the opportunity to be the “player-dealer” and wager on the dealer’s position or hand – playing against the other players, collecting losing wagers and paying winning wagers to the extent of the player-dealer wager.
Under California law, cardrooms offer all players the opportunity to be the “player-dealer” and wager on the dealer’s position or hand – playing against the other players, collecting losing wagers and paying winning wagers to the extent of the player-dealer wager.
Historically, state Attorneys General each understood the law to permit these games and there has been no change in the laws.
The California Cardroom Alliance opposes challenges to these games, which would imperil thousands of living wage jobs around the state and create deep deficits in municipal government budgets that depend upon cardroom revenue to fund essential public services.