California Judge Richard Darwin has put a preliminary injunction on new blackjack regulations set to come into force in California in the coming days. BonusFinder, an online casinos comparison website, reveals the latest.
The regulations effectively prevent the playing of blackjack and blackjack-style games while also limiting the influence of Third-Party Providers of Proposition Players (TPPPs).
Additionally, the regulations were introduced by California Attorney General Rob Bonta's Bureau of Gambling Control (BGC), rather than by the state legislature.
The ruling
Judge Darwin's ruling centered on whether the BGC had the authority to impose such changes in the first place, ultimately finding that it likely did not. The Gambling Control Act, he said, did not grant the bureau the power to prohibit or redefine approved card games.
On April 1, the rules were introduced, but cardrooms had been given until June 1 to comply. However, that will no longer be necessary thanks to Judge Darwin's ruling.
The regulations were approved by the Office of Administrative Law in February 2026, to prevent cardrooms from offering certain types of games, after pressure from tribal groups, but were formally introduced by the DOJ in spring 2025.
Due to the rules, it meant venues would not be able to offer any games called blackjack, that used the term 'blackjack', or that included a 'bust' feature. The rules also meant that players must win ties.
Third-Party Providers of Proposition Players
Furthermore, the use of intermediaries, or TPPPs, was also to be limited. Under current rules, cardrooms cannot act as the house, and profits must come directly from rake fees.
This means the dealer position is handed to players. The use of TPPPs means the cardroom meets the requirement that players can only bet against other players while enabling them to take higher rake fees and continue to bankroll higher stake games.
Tribal casinos have long held that TPPPs enable cardrooms to circumvent laws, and the practice of using them reduces the revenue they can earn from tribal casinos.
Under the newly introduced laws, one TPPP would be permitted per table, and two new player dealers must be selected every 40 minutes.
Cardrooms Vs tribal casinos
Debate over the use of TPPPs has waged for years. Before the formal introduction of the regulations, in spring 2025, the DOJ held public hearings and stakeholder meetings to inform a decision.
In 2024, a County Superior Court judge ruled against tribal casinos being able to sue cardrooms to prevent the use of TPPPs, but the new rules would have led to the same result.
According to the California Gambling Control Commission, there are around 80 licensed cardrooms in California. In total, they have nearly 2,000 tables offering a variety of card games, with the most popular being blackjack.
A coalition of cardrooms argued that the new laws would have dire financial consequences for the industry and those who work in it. According to reports, the card rooms stand to lose $68M a year in revenue, on the back of the law changes.
Furthermore, the group argued that the new laws contradict years of settled law, and see today's ruling as a landmark victory.
President of the California Gaming Association, Kyle Kirkland, said:
"Today's ruling validates what we have said all along: Attorney General Bonta and the Bureau of Gambling Control exceeded their authority by attempting to rewrite California gaming law.
"These regulations were driven by pressure from powerful tribal gaming interests that have long sought to eliminate lawful competition from California's cardrooms."
The next hearing date will be June 30, 2026, at which point the California Gaming Association will need to win on the merits to permanently block the regulations.
