California Governor Signs Four Bills Ratifying Tribal Gaming Compacts
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 2173, Assembly Bill 2539, Senate Bill 542, and Senate Bill 1235, ratifying new and amended tribal gaming compacts covering four tribes.
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act requires tribal gaming compacts to be negotiated between tribes and states, and in California, those agreements need legislative ratification and the governor's signature to take effect.
Agua Caliente And Yurok Compacts
AB 2173 ratifies an amendment to the compact between California and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, extending the agreement through December 31, 2061, and allowing the tribe's casino to add up to 500 more gaming machines, according to Indian Gaming.
AB 2539 ratifies a new compact with the Yurok Tribe, California's largest tribe by membership, with more than 5,000 enrolled members, replacing an older 1999 agreement.
The new compact allows the tribe to operate up to 349 gaming devices across as many as three gaming venues.
Santa Ynez, Picayune Rancheria And Fort Mojave
SB 542 ratifies amendments to the compact between the state and the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, extending the compact term and updating provisions relating to tort liability.
SB 1235 ratifies the fifth compact amendment for the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians and separately creates a new compact with the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, its first.
The bills add to a busy year for California's tribal gaming sector as compacts continue to be renegotiated across the state.
Part Of Broader Wave Of Compact Renegotiations
Tribal gaming compacts in California must be negotiated individually between each tribe and the state, then ratified by the legislature, a process that the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act leaves largely to state law.
That structure means California's more than 60 gaming tribes periodically return to Sacramento to update decades-old agreements as they add gaming machines, extend terms, or, in the Yurok Tribe's case, replace a compact altogether.
The four bills signed this month add to a string of compact ratifications and amendments the state has processed in 2026 as tribes seek more flexibility for their casino operations.
Refer to Cashback Terms & Conditions for full program terms.
