Reports earlier this week that Caesars Entertainment Californian associate the Rincon and other tribal bands in the state have suggested a workable compromise on the controversial “bad actor” clause in attempts to legalise online poker in California (see previous reports) have been followed by claims that the land gambling giant could be on board with such an approach.
Bad actor clauses have been one of the main causes for disagreement in attempts to legalise in the Golden State over the past several years, with interested parties unable to reach a consensus on whether companies that served American players post-UIGEA should be allowed to apply for licenses in legalised US markets.
The issue has proved to be a potential obstacle for Pokerstars’ entry in a legalised Californian market, but the Rincon compromise that persons rather than companies be held accountable for past conduct could remove that hurdle, given the change of ownership at Pokerstars and the departure of its previous owners.
Respected industry analyst Chris Krafchik broke the news of a possible shift in Caesars’ previously hard stance on bad actors, tweeting on Saturday: “Caesars’ Jan Jones Blackhurst told me the company believes Amaya Gaming Group-PokerStars “should be considered for legalization in the U.S.” Jones Blackhurst is Caesars executive vice president, communications and government relations.