Updated on 22 Feb 26 by
Barry carter
Poker Expert

California poker rooms to close down again

Governor Gavin Newsom has asked card rooms to shut again following a big spike in COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles.





While live poker is back in some parts of the world, it looks like we could be seeing a step back in parts of the US. 

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a series of second lockdowns and called out poker rooms specifically:

California in particular has seen a record spike in cases since in reopened Los Angeles, with 100,000 cases in LA alone. This closure would include the Bicycle Casino which had just restarted the Live at the Bike live streams.

Could Vegas be next?

There is also a lot of speculation, especially in poker circles, that Las Vegas might be one of the next places to go into a second lockdown. Cases are growing quickly and several casino workers have tested positive for COVID-19. It's not a good sign for the proposed autumn World Series of Poker, which is currently taking place virtually at WSOP.com and then GGPoker. 

Speaking of Vegas, Doug Polk has announced he is suspended his campaign to oust Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman. 

Polk was concerned about an incredibly cavalier attitude shown by Goodman in her interview with Anderson Cooper, which she demanded Vegas reopen but denied any responsibility herself for the safety of her constituents. The costs of the recall campaign as well as the potential health risks to Vegas residents having to vote again, was too much for Polk. 

Will we see a Vegas bracelet event this year? Let us know in the comments:


Barry carter
Poker Expert

Barry Carter is the editor of PokerStrategy.com and the co-author of The Mental Game of Poker 1 & 2, Poker Satellite Strategy, PKO Poker Strategy, Endgame Poker Strategy, GTO Poker Simplified, Mystery Bounty Poker Strategy and Beyond GTO. In 2025, he won the Global Poker Awards for Best Book and Twitter Personality of the Year.