San Jose avoided a potential multimillion-dollar budget hit last week after a San Francisco judge struck down new state regulations that would have strictly limited blackjack-style games at cardrooms across California.
Superior Court Judge Richard Darwin ruled this week that the state Bureau of Gambling Control, a division of Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office, lacks the authority to impose the gaming restrictions, which were pushed for by the state’s tribal casinos, the cardrooms’ main competitors.
After temporarily halting the regulations in May, Darwin found that only state lawmakers can make such policy decisions, according to card room industry officials, who sued to block the rule changes. Darwin issued the ruling from the bench and is expected to release a written decision July 10. The fight may not be over, however, since Bonta’s office can still appeal the decision…