New California internet poker bill expected next week
Chances of progress in this legislative session boosted with bill backed by Pechanga and San Manuel coalitions expected to be ready next week
A single streamlined internet poker bill could be ready to submit to the California legislature as early as next week, boosting the chance of progress in the current legislative session.
A group of the state’s most influential tribes, including coalitions led by San Manuel and Pechanga, met earlier this week to put the finishing touches to draft legislation.
The meeting focussed on the licensing of subcontractors and parameters of eligible entities, and comes after the tribes reached consensus on some of the main sticking points last week, including the number of branded sites a licensee could offer.
“The meeting went well,” Jerome Encinas, tribal lobbyist, said. “All issues are resolved and we are now in the process of setting up meetings with Legislators to discuss how we move forward.”
The Tribe’s lawyers are now hard at work to finalize the bill and submit it to both authors for approval next week, raising hopes it could be introduced during the current legislative session which comes to an end in August.
“This bill will be ready for submission to both authors next week. We are very excited that we have a 99.9 percent completed discussion,” Encinas added.
With a population of 38m people California would become the largest internet gaming state in the US to date, with the Commissioner of the California regulator predicting the market to be worth more thanUS$500m in its first full year alone.
One potential roadblock is PokerStars partnership with the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and three of the state’s largest card rooms, as reported in eGaming Review last month.