Blackjack is back at California cardrooms—for now.

A San Francisco Superior Court judge has blocked regulations issued by the California Attorney General’s Office that would have effectively eliminated blackjack and other popular table games at many of the state’s licensed cardrooms.

The court found that the Bureau of Gambling Control likely exceeded its legal authority by attempting to rewrite long-standing gaming rules through regulation rather than legislation.

The decision is significant because it isn’t just about blackjack. It raises a broader question: Who gets to make California law?

For years, tribal casinos and cardrooms have battled over the legality of certain table games. Tribes argue they have exclusive rights to house-banked casino games, while cardrooms maintain they have operated legally under decades-old rules approved by state regulators.

Rather than having the Legislature settle the issue, regulators attempted to change the rules administratively. The court said that the approach likely went too far.

The ruling also has real economic consequences. According to the state’s own analysis, the regulations could have cost California cardrooms approximately $68 million in revenue while reducing funding that many cities depend on for police, fire protection, parks, and other local services. Thousands of jobs were also at stake.

The legal battle is far from over, and appeals are likely. But for now, blackjack remains on the tables.

Whether you support tribal gaming, local cardrooms, or both, one principle should matter to everyone: major policy changes should be made through the legislative process, not by regulators stretching the limits of their authority.

The rule of law should always be the winning hand.