California has for a while now been contemplating the regulation of online poker, however with all stakeholders involved never being able to agree on the best plan of action, bills regarding the issue have always crashed and burned without making too many waves. The most recent attempt came in February 2013 with a bill that was introduced by Senator Lou Correa, and it’s this man who’s behind one of the 2new bills that have been introduced. Senator Correa’s bill, Bill SB1366 has been introduced as an urgency bill and pushes to both regulate online poker and prohibit everything else and if successful it could be acted upon within 120 days, however there’s no word on how much support that bill has.
Bill 2291 introduced by Assembly Member Reginald Jones-Sawyer has also been put forward as an urgency bill, and not only does it ask to prohibit all forms of online gambling outside of poker, but also that civil penalties be handed out to those who break that law. As both bills have been introduced as urgency bills, it does however mean that for either one of them pass they must be voted for by a 2 to 3 majority. Both bills were put forward on deadline day in an effort to regulate online poker, and while the bill by Senator Correa appears to be the same as last years failed attempt, Bill 2291 from Jones-Sawyer is new and is supported by a wide range of Indian Tribes. The main problem is that there are Indian Tribes interests on each bill meaning that it appears a rift still exists in the state regarding a possible solution that will suit all. Online poker players in California are of course welcome at many rooms that accept US players with Bovada Pokerbeing one of the very best.
