CA tribal body against cardroom concession

The California Nations Indian Gaming Association criticises the amendment aimed at legalising betting in cardrooms.

US.- The California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA) has refused to support the sports betting bill that aims to legalise player-banked games at the state’s cardrooms, and strongly criticised the legislation.

The amendment, SCA 6, was proposed by Senator Bill Dodd and is complementary to assembly member Adam Gray’s ACA 16. It began as a short proposal to put the legalisation of sports betting to California’s citizens and was first filed in June 2019, but it has recently transformed into a full regulatory framework.

It has now been significantly expanded and covers retail betting, which may be offered by racetracks and North American tribes.

SCA 6 and ACA 16 would allow each licensee to offer one mobile skin alongside its retail offering.

Tribal sources have previously said they were unwilling to include mobile betting in their proposal, as they did not believe it would be supported by Californian citizens.

According to CNIGA chair James Silva, the bill would allow for “a massive expansion of games” offered by the cardrooms, and “fundamentally changes the legal structure of California’s peer-to-peer gaming industry”.

Both entities would be able to offer online betting, which would be subject to a 15 per cent gross revenue tax, and retail, which will be taxed at 10 per cent. Online operators would also be expected to pay an initial US$5 million licence fee, plus an annual renewal fee of $1 million.

Player-banked games have long been a point of contention for tribal operators, who feel their sovereign right to offer games such as blackjack and baccarat are being infringed upon.