California Tribe’s Unfair Card Game Competition Suit Dismissed

California tribes don’t have standing to sue non-tribal card rooms under the state’s unfair competition and public nuisance laws because of their status as sovereign government entities, a state appellate court decided Thursday.

Two tribes, as well as several affiliated business entities and individual tribal members, sued owners and operators of commercial card rooms in Southern California, alleging they offered casino-style card games outside of tribal land in violation of state law. The tribes lost over $18 million per year as a result of gaming being diverted from tribal casinos, they said.

The California Constitution gives tribes the exclusive right ...