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California Tribes Challenging Tables Games Played off the Reservations

By The California Business Journal Newswire

The Golden State, by far, has the largest amount of Tribal-owned casinos in the state. Thanks to legislation the Indian Bureau of Affairs passed in the late 1980s, these Tribes have the right to operate land-based casinos for economic opportunities.

Despite this fundamental tenant, at least seven California Tribes, including the Viejas, continue to express public outcry and dissent about organized card games being played and organized off tribal lands. Thanks to Governor Gavin Newsom signing Senate Bill 549, California Tribes can legally challenge the right for casinos or similar organized activities off official reservations hosting organized casino games.

The Viejas Tribe is leading other California tribes in a lawsuit about what they call the illegal use of popular card games like baccarat and blackjack taking place off official reservations. The lawsuit specifically puts an uncomfortable spotlight on the casinos Ocean’s 11 and Seven Mile, both of which are in the San Diego area.

It’s important to note that the Viejas lawsuit isn’t seeking punitive damages. Rather, it is working like a cease and desist letter. The argument that tribes like Viejas are making is that these non-tribal casinos are hurting the financial bottom line with card games like blackjack and baccarat.

As expected, Ocean’s 11 and other casinos are pushing back, essentially claiming it would severely cripple their financial opportunities. This dispute between casinos like Ocean’s 11 and the various California tribes is years in the making. However, with the passage of Senate Bill 549 last fall, the dispute went into overdrive.

Representatives for Ocean’s 11 are claiming this lawsuit will effectively put them out of business. They claim they are following the strict guidelines of the California Department of Justice. Furthermore, the top brass at Ocean’s 11 are claiming that their blackjack and baccarat variants are unique and that California tribes like the Viejas don’t have 100% ownership over them.

It’s expected that this intriguing lawsuit will hopefully gain more clarity this spring. The subject of organized gambling has always been a storied and complicated one in California. In the past years, the subject of legalizing sports betting and online casinos in California narrowly failed to pass.

Of all things, these measures failed because many of the California tribes couldn’t come to a consensus about the framework for oversight and regulation. It remains to be seen if the Golden State will revisit the issue of online casinos and sports betting during the 2025 legislation.

Tags: 1980s, California Tribes, card games, economic opportunities, Governor Gavin Newsom, Indian Bureau of Affairs, The Golden State, Viejas

The California Business Journal Newswire

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