CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

99

Introduced by Committee on Governmental Organization (Assembly Members Blanca Rubio (Chair), Davies (Vice Chair), Berman, Carrillo, Dixon, Fong, Gallagher, Gipson, Macedo, McKinnor, Pacheco, Michelle Rodriguez, Solache, Soria, Ta, Valencia, and Wallis)

March 17, 2026

An act to amend Sections 19800 and 19812 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to gambling.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: no   Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law, the Gambling Control Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of various legalized gambling activities and establishments by the California Gambling Control Commission and the investigation and enforcement of those activities by the Department of Justice. Under existing law, the commission consists of 5 members who are appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate. Existing law requires one member of the commission, among other criteria, to be an attorney with regulatory law experience.

This bill would instead require one member of the commission, among other criteria, to be an attorney with regulatory or gaming law experience. The bill would make other technical, nonsubstantive changes.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 19800 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

19800.

This chapter shall be is known, and may be cited, as the “Gambling Control Act.”

SEC. 2.

Section 19812 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

19812.

(a) Each member of the commission shall be a citizen of the United States and a resident of this state.

(b) No A Member of the Legislature, no a person holding any elective office in state, county, or local government, and no an officer or official of any political party is are not eligible for appointment to the commission.

(c) No more than three of the five members of the commission shall be members of the same political party.

(d) A person is ineligible for appointment to the commission if, within two years prior to appointment, the person, or any partnership or corporation in which the person is a principal, was employed by, retained by, or derived substantial income from, any gambling establishment. For the purposes of this subdivision, “gambling establishment” means one or more rooms wherein in which any gaming within the meaning of Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 330) of Title 9 of Part 1 of the Penal Code, or any controlled game within the meaning of Section 337j of the Penal Code, is conducted, whether or not the activity occurred in California.

(e) One member of the commission shall be a certified public accountant or a person with experience in banking or finance, one member shall be an attorney and a member of the State Bar of California with regulatory or gaming law experience, one member shall have a background in law enforcement and criminal investigation, one member shall have a background in business with at least five years of business experience or alternatively five years of governmental experience, and one member shall be from the public at large.