Cardroom in Cal Launch Media Campaigns
A non-profit organization in the State of California has announced the beginning of a special campaign that it says will expose “the special interests” trying to lessen competition in the local gambling market.
In a press release the California Cardrooms Communities claimed that these dishonest parties were trying to pass various unfair policies before the state’s current legislative session ends on September 30 by “abusing the legislative process to diminish competition in the marketplace.” The Cardroom Community is made up of small and medium-sized card rooms and has now needed to fight against ‘big gaming’ while simultaneously endeavouring to uncover the truth and allow legal businesses to thrive in California under fair competition.’
Cardroom Players Unhappy
The California Cardroom Communities expressed their displeasure at the fact that the state’s ban on card rooms has not prevented California from launching “an unprecedented expansion of gambling with respect to tribal casinos” by signing new agreements with 79 tribes that control 76 gambling-friendly establishments. The group argued that these agreements have allowed these facilities to expand their combined complement of gambling devices to well beyond 80,000 units without imposing restrictions on their operating hours or the maximum number of gaming tables that are allowed.
California Cardroom Communities Push Back
Clarke Rosa, President for the Communities for California Cardrooms organization, disclosed that ‘The Golden State’ has had a moratorium on the number of card rooms and commercial gaming tables since 1995. However, the man who also serves as the President for Sacramento’s Capitol Casino enterprise proclaimed that this suspension is set to expire at the end of the year even though stakeholders have been assiduously working since at least 1997 to establish a fresh policy ‘that would allow licensed card rooms to expand the number of tables with local government approvals.’
Rosa then stated that California card room sector supports 32,000 employments, many of which are employed by minorities in underdeveloped areas and generates around $500 million in state and local taxes annually. As a result, he continued, “any discussion focused on extending the embargo on the expansion of gambling” should be flexible enough to allow local governments to “amend their ordinances to add additional tables.”
“A moratorium without reasonable table expansion creates a great inequity among local governments who have active gaming ordinances. A continuation of the status quo is unacceptable as local governments need the flexibility to amend their ordinances to add additional tables as each table can generate a tremendous amount of living wage jobs and tax revenues.”
Next Steps…
The California Cardrooms Community organization has begun its campaign as Californians get ready to vote in two referendums in November on whether to legalize retail and online sports betting. If Proposition 26 is approved, local tribal casinos and four horse racing tracks will be allowed to offer land-based sportsbooks. If Proposition 27 is approved, native organizations may partner with companies like FanDuel Group and DraftKings Incorporated to offer state-wide mobile-friendly online sports wagering services.
