In the old days many cardrooms were illegal just because it was easier and cheaper to payoff a local sherrif than buy a license and pay taxes. in modern times say from 1960's on, most illegal clubs simply wanted to spread the popular poker games. Calif. residents were all going to Vegas to play 7 stud, Hold-em and eventually Omaha. Calif.state law for licensed cardrooms only permitted Low-ball, Draw and Pan. This was changed in 1990. Now Calif. is the poker capital of the USA.