Submitted by Sue Frost, and contributors–
Attorney General Rob Bonta and the Bureau of Gambling Control finalized cardroom regulations this month that will impose unnecessary burdens and destabilize responsible cardrooms, jeopardize local jobs, reduce city revenues, and ultimately harm the very communities these policies claim to protect throughout California.
Without legal intervention, Stones Gambling Hall, a Citrus Heights anchor business, and cardrooms throughout the state will be directly impacted starting on April 1, 2026.
On March 9, California cardrooms filed lawsuits against the regulations to prevent their implementation, and the legal process will now play out in the courts.
Stones Gambling Hall is one of Citrus Heights’ most recognizable businesses along the Interstate 80 corridor and contributes meaningfully to our local economy and community life. That is why the California Attorney General’s cardroom regulations are so concerning, not just for Stones, but for cardrooms and the communities they support across the state.
Stones is far more than a place to gamble – It serves as a gathering space for local and regional organizations, hosts community events and fundraisers, supports local nonprofits, and offers dining and entertainment options that draw visitors into Citrus Heights. It is also a highly regulated, licensed business that provides substantial tax revenue to the city. That revenue helps fund public safety services and other essential community programs.
Since Citrus Heights incorporated, the city has worked to define itself as a safe, welcoming place to live, work, and explore. When Stones was built, it helped accelerate that progress. Over the past decade, the cardroom has proven itself to be a true community partner, engaged, responsive, and invested in the city’s success. Stones has consistently shown a willingness to collaborate with city leaders, law enforcement, and local organizations to help make Citrus Heights a better place for everyone.
Stones and cardrooms across the state support their communities, city general funds, and are anchor businesses or small businesses supporting economic development, quality jobs, and safety. The question becomes clear: why were sweeping regulations adopted for businesses that are already highly regulated, legal for 150 years, and demonstrate consistent efforts to give back and support their communities?
Citrus Heights has been home to licensed cardrooms for decades. For more than fifty years, these businesses have operated in compliance with the law and, in turn, provided meaningful economic and community benefits.
Cardrooms in California existed long before tribal gaming. Since tribal casinos entered the California market, these businesses have coexisted, each operating under different regulatory frameworks and serving different roles within the state’s gaming landscape.
This is not an argument against tribal gaming, which plays an important role in California. It is a concern about regulatory imbalance. Pushing cardrooms out through overregulation risks creating a de facto monopoly, at the expense of cities like Citrus Heights that rely on anchor businesses like Stones for economic vitality, community engagement, and public safety support.
As finalized, these regulations increase compliance costs and operational uncertainty in ways that could force responsible cardrooms to reduce jobs, limit services, or reconsider long-term investments in the communities they support — and some will likely completely shut down.
Along with other cities in the state that are supported by their cardrooms, like Hawaiian Gardens, Inglewood, and San Jose, we urge Attorney General Rob Bonta to rescind the cardroom regulations before they cause irreversible harm – harm that goes directly against his stated priorities like making California affordable and safe.
Cardrooms deserve a seat at the table and a meaningful dialogue about how to address tribal concerns without dismantling licensed cardroom businesses and impacting the communities they support.
This opinion article was submitted by former Sacramento County Supervisor of District 4 and former Mayor of Citrus Heights, Sue Frost, with contributors listed, including, former Citrus Heights City Councilmember and retired state law enforcement officer Al Fox, and longtime Citrus Heights businessman, Bill Van Duker.
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