PPP is part of the recently passed $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) and while the law is seen as salvation for some businesses, in its current form, it stipulates that enterprises generating a third or more of their revenue from legal gambling activities aren’t eligible for federal funding.

With California card rooms among the state’s first gaming venues to shutter because of the coronavirus, cities such as Bell Gardens and Hawaiian Gardens are left with revenue voids that are almost impossible to fill over the short-term, prompting local leaders to ask Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) to get involved.