Published on: February 10, 2026, 03:44h.
Updated on: February 10, 2026, 03:44h.
- New regulations restrict classic blackjack rules in California cardrooms
- Mandatory player-dealer rotation guidelines limit third-party proposition player services
- Cardrooms caution that changes could lead to decreased revenue, job losses, and reduced local tax revenues
California cardrooms that have long provided “blackjack-style” games may need to reassess their offerings after the state’s regulatory body finalized rules that intensify oversight on what are labeled “California games.”
On Friday, the state’s Department of Justice revealed that the Office of Administrative Law had sanctioned two regulatory packages — one related to the rotation of the player-dealer role and another concerning blackjack-style games.
According to the newly established rules, “traditional blackjack” cannot be played in cardrooms as it has been. Players can no longer “bust”; instead, hand outcomes will be determined by comparing scores with the player-dealer. This change also means an ace paired with a ten-value card will not guarantee a win.
Moreover, cardrooms are prohibited from using the number 21 or the term “blackjack” in their game branding.
The second set of restrictions enforces strict guidelines on how “player-dealer” games operate. The dealer must be a seated player, and the position must be offered at the beginning of each hand and rotated among at least two other players every 40 minutes, or the game will conclude.
Understanding California Games
For years, influential tribal casino operators in California have vehemently opposed cardrooms’ “California games” — variations of popular casino table games such as blackjack and pai gow poker — arguing they infringe on tribal rights to house-banked casino games.
Cardrooms maintain their games comply with regulations prohibiting house-banked play by implementing a fixed rake from each hand while allowing the “bank” to circulate among players, resembling a traditional poker cash game. This means players take on the dealer risk instead of the house.
However, tribes have contended in legal actions that the current regulations only require the dealer position to be offered, not to actually rotate. This means a single player could remain in the banker role indefinitely if no one else volunteered, per the tribes’ assertions.
Most patrons show little interest in taking on the banker role, leading cardrooms to depend on state-licensed third-party providers known as Third-Party Proposition Player Services (TPPPs) to fill the dealer position. The tribes argue these providers effectively serve as a unofficial bank when cardrooms fail to ensure proper rotation.
Effects on TPPPs
The new regulations will significantly limit TPPPs’ ability to maintain the dealer position for extended periods. Although TPPPs won’t be outright banned, their operational role will see considerable restrictions, hampering their ability to act as a continuous banker.
Cardrooms express concern that these rules will undermine profitability by slowing game play and causing table halts when dealer rotations are not adhered to, effectively eliminating blackjack mechanisms that drive traffic and player engagement.
The California Gaming Association, which advocates for the state’s 80-plus cardrooms, criticized the new regulatory measures as “extreme,” warning that they could result in a reduction of approximately 50% of cardroom jobs.
This would jeopardize “tens of thousands of working families” and create “significant budget deficits for municipalities dependent on cardroom taxes to support essential services like police, fire departments, parks, and more,” the association indicated.