On their first opportunity since a new law took effect Jan. 1, seven casino-owning Native American tribes filed suit in Sacramento County Thursday against dozens of California card rooms, opening a new front in one of last year’s most expensive political battles.
Now, millions of dollars of tax revenues that pay for city services such as police and road repairs could be in jeopardy.
The tribes’ suit alleges that the gambling halls scattered across California are illegally offering card games such as black jack and pai gow poker that cut into the tribes’ gambling revenues.
“Defendants brazenly profit from illegal gambling,” the tribes said in the opening line of their lawsuit.
In a statement, a card room industry representative said the cardrooms are “in full compliance with the law.”
“This attempt by tribal casinos to shut down lawful competition by tax-paying California businesses will fail,” the statement said.
The suit would not have been possible if Gov. Gavin Newsom hadn’t signed Senate Bill 549 in September . Tribes say California voters years ago gave them the exclusive rights to host the disputed table games, which they use to benefit historically disenfranchised tribal communities.