Steve Ballmer’s VIP Rooms at the $2 Billion Intuit Dome Gets Newsom OK for Alcohol Sales

UPDATED: California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill Sunday that would allow exclusive areas in Steve Ballmer’s $2 billion Intuit Dome to sell alcohol until 4 a.m. Every other club in Los Angeles prohibits the sale of alcohol after 2 a.m.

The law never specifically mentions Ballmer, the Intuit Dome, or the billionaire Los Angeles Clippers playing there, but it seems to have been carefully constructed to keep the fun going until 4 a.m. at just one location in LA.

AB 3206, introduced by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor and passed by the Senate in late August, allows “the sale of alcoholic beverages to occur between 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. in the licensed premises operated in a fully enclosed arena with a capacity of up to at least 18,000 seats in the city of Inglewood.” These sales must “take place in a private area within the arena not exceeding 2,500 square feet in the hours immediately following a day on which a sporting event, concert or other major event, or a private event not open to the public, has took place in the arena.”

Conveniently, the Intuit Dome seats 18,000 people. The Forum – also owned by Ballmer – only seats 17,500 people, so it can’t take advantage of AB 3206’s benefits. And while nearby SoFi Stadium can seat more than 70,000 people for Rams games and the like, it’s not ‘ fully enclosed arena’. as required by the bill. That makes the Intuit Dome, literally, the only game in town with legal alcohol sales after 2 a.m.

PREVIOUSLY on August 21st: Jerry Buss would be jealous.

The legendary Lakers owner revamped the Forum Club, an exclusive VIP area within the stadium for LA’s A-list during games and concerts. But like every other club in Los Angeles, alcohol sales were prohibited after 2 a.m., even in Showtime’s heyday.

Thanks to a bill that quietly passed in the California Senate last night, it looks like an exclusive venue at Steve Ballmer’s brand new Intuit Dome in Inglewood — the new home of the Los Angeles Clippers — will likely party until 4 a.m.

AB 3206, introduced by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, allows “the sale of alcoholic beverages to occur between the hours of 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. in the licensed retail space operated in a fully enclosed arena with a seating capacity of at least 18,000, located in the city ​​of Inglewood .” These sales must “take place in a private area within the arena not exceeding 2,500 square feet in the hours immediately following a day on which a sporting event, concert or other major event, or a private event not open to the public, has took place in the arena.”

Conveniently, the Intuit Dome seats 18,000 people. The Forum – also owned by Ballmer – only seats 17,500 people, so it can’t take advantage of AB 3206’s benefits. And while nearby SoFi Stadium can seat more than 70,000 people for Rams games and the like, it’s not ‘ fully enclosed arena’. as required by the bill. That would make the Intuit Dome, literally, the only game in town with legal alcohol sales after 2 a.m.

The bill must still be signed by Governor Gavin Newsom.

“Our office does not typically comment on pending legislation,” Izzy Gardon, a Newsom spokesperson, told KCRA California Capitol correspondent Ashley Zavala. “The governor will review the merits of the Legislature’s proposal when it reaches his desk.”

The bill also must be approved by the Inglewood City Council, but that seems likely given McKinnor’s involvement and the pro-development stance the city has taken in recent years.

Deadline has reached out to Clippers representatives for comment and will update this story when received.

The Dome debuted last week with a concert by Bruno Mars. The Clippers’ first home game of the preseason is Oct. 14 against the Dallas Mavericks.