California Senate Votes 36-0 In Favor of AB 831

Well, it's official: The California Senate has passed AB 831 with a 36-0 vote, and now, the anti-sweepstakes casino legislation will head back to the Assembly for a vote. 

In football terms, this bill is on the 5-yard line. 

An earlier version of this bill was passed in the Assembly; however, due to the significant changes made since its introduction, it needs to be voted on again. 

If it passes, it'll head to the Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk. 

If he signs it, sweepstakes casinos will be illegal in California. 

Revisiting This Bill

When AB 831 was first introduced, it had to do with gaming compacts between the state and various tribal gaming authorities. Now, the bill includes language related to sweepstakes casinos. 

Since it was changed up in July, it's sailed through various channels with unanimous votes, including a 7-0 vote in the Senate Appropriations Committee. 

This bill will need to get through the Assembly before Sept. 12, as that's the deadline for all bills to hit the governor's desk. 

If it fails to meet that deadline, it'll be revisited in 2026 as California has a two-year legislative cycle. 

We should expect news on this soon. 

The Bill Passing Comes Amid Prominent Opponents

AB 831 is now close to passing, and this comes amid several tribes like Big Lagoon Rancheria, the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians, and the Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation that came out against it. Additionally, several cities that have cardrooms came out against it. 

All that being said, the bill has passed unanimously in every legislative channel it's gone through. 

Everything Happening In California

In addition to AB 831 passing the Senate, there are a lot of other storylines happening in California involving sweepstakes casinos. 

• High 5 Casino is leaving California.
• AB 831 received an amendment before its Senate vote to protect sweepstakes such as those held at McDonald's or Marriott. 
• Playtech games on Virtual Gaming World's platforms were blocked in the state of California. 
• Pragmatic Play left the sweepstakes casino industry as a whole
• The Los Angeles City attorney sued Sweepsteaks Ltd. (the operator of Stake.us) and several game developers. 

We'll see what happens. We're just days away from the "soft deadline" of Sept. 12.