The California Gambling Control Commission (CGCC) convened for its scheduled public meeting to deliberate on a wide range of licensing and regulatory matters related to cardrooms, third-party providers, tribal gaming, and key individuals in the gambling industry. The Commission addressed ownership transfers, license renewals, regulatory compliance, and findings of suitability for tribal gaming employees and suppliers.

Highlights from the Meeting

Cardroom Licensing and Ownership Transfers

Commerce Casino (California Commerce Club, Inc.)

• Initial License Approval: The Commission recommended approving an initial cardroom owner license for James Murray, Director of the Commerce Casino, through March 31, 2027.
• Ownership Transfer: The Commission approved a share transfer from Marsha Gold to the Marsha L. Gold Revocable Trust, subject to the transaction closing within 180 days and written confirmation of compliance with imposed conditions.
• Successor Trustee Licensing: The license for Jill Anter Wieder, Successor Trustee of the trust, was also approved through March 31, 2027, pending the completion of the ownership transaction.
• Additional Conditions: The Commission imposed a detailed list of conditions on the license, including certification requirements, written transaction confirmations, and mandatory legends on stock certificates to ensure regulatory compliance.

Napa Valley Casino (BVK Gaming, Inc.)

• Ownership Transfer: Similar to Commerce, the transfer of shares from Von Altizer to the Von Altizer 2017 Revocable Trust was conditionally approved.
• Successor Trustee Licensing: Applications from Christopher and Bobby Huang, successor trustees and contingent beneficiaries, were approved through May 31, 2026, contingent upon the transaction’s completion.
• Interim License Conditions: The Commission imposed a set of conditions mirroring those required for Commerce Casino, ensuring the integrity of ownership transitions.

Renewal and Interim Licenses

Seven Mile Casino (Stones South Bay Corp.)

• A new interim renewal license was approved through September 30, 2027, with prior licensing conditions officially removed.

Commerce Casino Directors

• Rick Contrucci: The Commission opted to abandon the renewal application.
• Lysa Grigorian: The application was referred to an evidentiary hearing, and an interim license was issued through March 31, 2027.

Other Cardrooms

• Limelight Card Room: License renewed through March 31, 2027.
• Lucky Chances Casino: A 90-day extension was granted through December 31, 2025, with strict restrictions on property access and communications for Rene Medina, tied to a 36-month probationary period.
• North Coast Casino and The River Card Room: Both granted 60-day extensions with multiple compliance conditions required prior to opening or continuing operations.

Third-Party Proposition Player Services

Renewals and Initial Licenses Approved

• Owner-Type Licenses for Global Player Services and Players Edge Services were renewed through 2027.
• Employee-Type Licenses: Dozens of third-party proposition player service employees were approved or renewed, including workers from Knighted Ventures, Blackstone Gaming, and Acme Player Services.
• Conditions on some licensees, such as Glenn Kaboua, included proof of fine resolution every 90 days.

Tribal-State Compact Licensing

Gaming Resource Suppliers

• Everi Games Inc. and LNW Gaming, Inc. received approval for initial and renewal suitability findings, with licenses valid through early 2026.

Key Tribal Employee Licensing

• A significant number of tribal casino employees across the state received initial or renewed findings of suitability. These included employees from:

  • Chumash Casino Resort

  • Thunder Valley Casino Resort

  • Fantasy Springs Resort Casino

  • Graton Resort & Casino

  • Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento, among many others.

• The Commission emphasized continuous monitoring of suitability, especially for applicants under conditional approval like Tatianna Wren, who must provide quarterly updates on efforts to resolve outstanding fines.

Key Individual Decisions

• Huy Dang: The Commission approved the renewal of Dang’s Key Employee License through September 30, 2027, removing prior conditions related to court-mandated classes and debt resolution.

Consent Calendar Items

• Items 15 through 21 included approvals for initial and renewal licenses for various employees, work permits, and tribal key employees. All items were approved per staff recommendations.

Conclusion

The September 18, 2025, meeting of the California Gambling Control Commission underscored the Commission’s ongoing role in maintaining transparency, accountability, and integrity in the state’s gambling industry. With careful review of ownership changes, key personnel, and operational compliance, the CGCC continues its commitment to fair and responsible gambling practices in California.

For full details and future updates, visit the California Gambling Control Commission website

Hard Rock Bet has launched a responsible gaming website offering educational content, support resources, and interactive tools.

The Seminole Hard Rock Digital operator said its portal contains information on setting deposit, wager, and session limits.

Users can also find information on using time-out features and self-exclusion, with links to national and state-level resources also included.

“We consider ourselves to be our players’ partner in responsible gaming, and this new site gives our community the guidance, tools and support needed for a confident and enjoyable gaming experience,” said Danny Crook, Hard Rock Digital’s senior vice president of operations.

The responsible gaming website is part of Hard Rock Bet’s role in Responsible Gaming Education Month in the US, organised by the American Gaming Association.

The American Gaming Association (AGA) released new research showing strong sentiment that sports events contracts offered through prediction markets—online platforms where users wager on the outcomes of future events—should be regulated in the same way as other forms of legal, state-regulated sports betting. The study also shows that the public overwhelmingly view them as a form of gambling that requires oversight.

Key Findings:

• Americans overwhelmingly recognize sports events contracts as gambling, not financial instruments. 85% say sports events contracts are most like gambling, while only 6% believe they are most like a financial instrument.
• Most Americans want sports events contracts regulated like other forms of sports betting. 80% say that sports event contracts should be regulated like other online sports betting and 65% believe these bets should be overseen by state and tribal gaming regulators, not the federal Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
• Adults agree that sports events contracts should only be offered by state-licensed sportsbooks. 84% of Americans, and 69% of sports bettors, say that sports events contracts should only be available in state-licensed sportsbooks in the states where they are offered. 69% of Americans believe each state should have a say on whether sports events contracts can be offered in their state.
• Americans recognize prediction platforms offering sports event contracts are skirting the law. 70% say prediction platforms offering sports event contracts are exploiting loopholes to act as unlicensed sportsbooks.

“This research has made it clear: Americans know a sports bet when they see one—and they expect prediction markets offering sports event contracts to be held to the same rules and consumer safeguards as every other state-regulated sportsbook,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “This underscores the need for the CFTC to enforce and uphold its own regulations that prohibit gaming contracts, and for Congress to use its oversight power to ensure prediction markets are not used as a backdoor for gaming.”

With sports betting currently operational in 38 states and Washington, D.C., AGA’s research emphasizes the need for consistent oversight of emerging gaming products to maintain consumer trust and uphold responsible gaming standards.

Methodology
YouGov, on behalf of the AGA, conducted an online survey from August 1-8, among a nationally representative sample of 2,025 registered voters. The margin of error is +/- 2 percent and greater among subgroups.