Blackjack will be banned in California cardrooms on April 1
Blackjack-style games will be banned in California cardrooms beginning April 1. The California Gaming Association says this will eliminate 50% of cardroom revenues.
This week the California Department of Justice (DOJ) announced two new rules with a major impact on cardrooms and their workaround to mimic casino table games using player dealer rotation and third party proposition player services (TPPPS).
[ No Ads ]Blackjack banned from California cardrooms - Courtesy of FOX40 News, Feb 11, 2026. Available from YouTube
Cardroom have been operating game variants of blackjack, baccarat, pai gow, 3-card poker, let-it-ride, and Caribbean stud. The new DOJ rules will ban these games and require the mandatory rotation of the player dealer position effective April 1st.
This is a major legal victory for California tribal casinos. The new rules will resolve the long fought tribal-cardroom disputes and reinforce the tribes' exclusive rights to house banked games
California cardrooms now face major economic decisions, including risks of closures, restructuring of game offerings, and other operational changes.
Sources:
California Department f Justice, Office of Administrative Law Approves DOJ Cardroom Regulations, February 9, 2026
Portions of this article were researched and developed with assistance from Microsoft Copilot (2026).
