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California has officially banned sweepstakes casinos, giving operators until December 2025 to leave the market. With the ban, players can no longer use sweepstakes casinos to play slot-style or table games with digital tokens. Some operators have already left, while others are seeking offshore licenses or moving to states where these casinos are still allowed. … Read more
Hard Rock Casino Tejon has officially opened its doors in Kern County, California. The $600 million project, located about 80 miles north of Los Angeles, is the region’s first large-scale gaming and entertainment destination. The opening ceremony featured Hard Rock’s signature Guitar Smash, a tribal blessing, and several community celebrations. Leaders emphasized that the casino … Read more
A California judge has dismissed a landmark lawsuit filed by casino-owning tribes against non-tribal “card rooms,” marking another setback in the tribes’ long-running effort to eliminate their main gambling competitors. The dismissal by Superior Court Judge Lauri Damrell centered on a jurisdictional conflict, ruling that federal gambling law supersedes Senate Bill 549, a recent state … Read more
A significant new entertainment destination is set to launch next month in California’s Central Valley, bringing Las Vegas-style gaming to Kern County for the first time. The $600 million Hard Rock Casino Tejon, owned by the Tejon Indian Tribe and operated by Hard Rock International, will officially open on November 13 in Mettler, just south … Read more
California is moving towards outlawing sweepstakes casinos, as Assembly Bill 831 has successfully cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee. The bill advanced during the committee’s Suspense Day, a fast-paced, vote-only session where lawmakers decide the fate of numerous proposals without debate or public input. Suspense Day is a distinctive feature of California’s legislative process. During this … Read more
California Governor Gavin Newsom and the state have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of the Interior’s approval of a major tribal casino project in Sonoma County. The lawsuit argues that federal officials unlawfully bypassed legal safeguards and infringed on state authority by allowing the Koi Nation to build a sprawling gaming resort … Read more
California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a 33-page opinion stating that daily fantasy sports (DFS) platforms are illegal gambling under current state law. Government Code section 12519 authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ) to provide formal interpretations of existing laws. The opinion was issued in response to a request for clarification from Assembly Member Tom … Read more
In September 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 549, allowing several tribal nations in California to challenge the legality of certain community casinos offering specific table games. Only tribal casinos in the state can legally offer banked card games like blackjack and baccarat. The tribes have sued some local casinos for using a loophole … Read more
A $725 million financing deal with the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians of California has been finalized, and the anticipated development of a new tribal casino outside of Madera, California, is now underway. The North Fork Rancheria Economic Development Authority (NFR EDAB) and the New York-based real estate investment trust VICI Properties agreed upon … Read more
Stake.us, an online “sweepstakes” casino, is currently facing a federal lawsuit in California. The suit, initiated by Dennis Doyle, alleges that the platform operates illegally within the state by offering casino-style games to residents, purportedly violating California’s gambling laws. Dennis Doyle, who identifies as a gambling addict, contends that Stake exploits vulnerable individuals by providing … Read more