California's Anti-Sweeps Bill, AB 831, Enters Final Phase

On Thursday, Sept. 11, California's AB 831, a bill that would make sweepstakes casinos illegal, passed unanimously in the Assembly's Governmental Organization Committee. 

Next up, it's headed for a full Assembly vote, where it passed 77-0 the first time around with two abstentions. 

How We Got Here

California's AB 831 recently passed in the Senate with a unanimous 36-0 vote (four abstentions). This came after passing unanimously in my other channels of the California legislature. 

It was sent back to the Assembly after the Senate vote because the bill had undergone significant changes during the process of reaching this point. 

So, after the Senate vote, the bill went back to the Assembly, where it needed to be voted on by the committee mentioned and the full Assembly. 

The first time around, the Assembly voted in favor of it 77-0. 

Should it pass in the Assembly, it'll be sent to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk. 

All of these unanimous votes came despite four tribes,  Big Lagoon Rancheria, Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation, Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria, and Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians, opposing the bill.

Additionally, several cities with prominent card rooms came out against this bill.  

What's Next

Not only does this bill need to pass in the Assembly before it's sent to the Governor, but it'll need to be done by Friday, Sept. 12. 

This is when this portion of the legislative session ends. 

In California, the session spans two years, though, so if it's not voted on and passed by tomorrow (at the time of this writing), it'll be pushed to 2026. 

Should this be voted on, passed, and sent to Newsom, he'll then need to sign it into law.

If he does, the bill will take effect in early 2026. 

We'll see what happens over the next 24 hours or so.