San Francisco judge blocks California cardroom rules pending legal challenge
San Francisco Superior Court Judge Richard Darwin issued a preliminary injunction on 21 May 2026, preventing California’s Bureau of Gambling Control regulations from taking effect. The judge found regulators likely exceeded their authority and that enforcement could cause serious, irreversible harm to cardrooms and affected cities. The wider legal challenge continues, with existing rules remaining in force for now.
Cardrooms can continue operating under existing rules while the court considers the challenge.