Judge Rules to Dismiss California Tribal Lawsuit Against Cardrooms, But Case is Far from Over

^{California cardrooms continue to offer table games challenged by tribal casinos in a lawsuit recently dismissed by a judge. (Photo: Maridav / Alamy)}

Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Lauri Damrell issued a tentative ruling on Aug. 7 that would dismiss a lawsuit brought by California tribal gaming interests against the commercial cardrooms operating in the state.

Judge Damrell noted that she is still open to reconsidering the ruling ahead of an Oct. 10 hearing on the matter.

Tribes Seek to End Banked Table Games at Cardrooms

The case focuses on a January lawsuit in which seven large California-based tribes joined together in an effort to stop cardrooms from offering what they say are banked table games. Such offerings would be in violation of a 2000 proposition in which voters gave tribes the exclusive rights to offer games where gamblers are pitted against the house.

Cardrooms attempt to get around this law by allowing players to bank hands against the rest of the table, with that option being rotated around the table. However, players rarely take this opportunity, with cardrooms instead hiring third-party propositions players (TPP) from licensed businesses to do the banking.

In her ruling, Judge Damrell found that the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) offers the structure by which tribes and state governments must determine the rules governing Native American gaming in each state. The IGRA, Judge Damrell said, limits how the state can get involved in gaming disputes outside of the process of compacts between the state and federally recognized tribes.

Lawyers arguing on behalf of the tribes dispute this interpretation, saying that the IGRA doesn’t cover all gambling matters in the state.

“We don’t think any of this should be preempted because it’s non-tribal gaming off Indian land,” attorney Adam Lauridsen said during court proceedings.” [IGRA] has not stretched that far and should not stretch that far.”

The cardrooms argue that the lawsuit is nothing more than an attempt to limit competition in California. Attorney Ben Horwich represents the cardrooms and states that the tribes are trying to bypass the regulatory framework of IGRA when it suits them, while still having it in place for defending their rights.

“They can’t have it both ways,” Horwich argued.

California Lawmakers Gave Tribes Limited Right to Sue  

The tribes were able to pursue the lawsuit against cardrooms in the state thanks to California Senate Bill 549, known as the Tribal Nations Access to Justice Act. California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law in September 2025. 

Prior to that signing, tribes didn’t have the legal standing to sue card rooms, due to their position as sovereign governments. Tribal gaming interests sued as soon as they could after the new law gave them standing to do so on Jan. 1, 2025. The law only allowed a short window for such lawsuits, ending on April 1, 2025.

The tribes suing to end banked games at cardrooms included the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, the Barona Band of Mission Indians, the Pechanga Band of Indians, the Sycuan Band of Kumeyaay Nation, the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, and the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation. All or nearly all cardrooms in California were named as defendants.