California has one less online gambling legalisation proposal this week following the suspension Thursday of Assemblyman Mike Gatto’s AB9 bill in the Assembly.
That leaves Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer’s AB 167 and Assemblyman Adam Gray’s AB 431 proposals still alive, with the latter looking like the lead runner and already through two Assembly committees.
Gatto announced Thursday that he is withdrawing his bill from a Government Organization Committee hearing scheduled for next week, saying that he had been unable to find agreement among Internet-poker operators, racetracks, card rooms, Indian gaming tribes and other gambling interests on the structure and introduction of a regulated and legalised intrastate internet poker regime.
California commercial and political interests have been unable to agree on the issue, and who should be allowed to operate online poker in the state, for the past several years, frustrating any legislative progress (see previous reports).
Gatto’s bill sought to establish state regulations, and would have allowed card rooms and tribal casino operators to operate online poker websites through licenses issued by the state Gambling Control Commission.
“I am canceling next week’s hearing of my Assembly Bill 9,” Gatto said in his announcement. “I believe this is the right thing to do at this point because there is no consensus on the issue yet. My bill has an “urgency” clause, and thus it can be resuscitated at any time.
“Over the past three years, I have met with representatives from nearly every software provider, card room, gaming tribe, racetrack, and internet-poker operator who has an opinion on the subject. I gave my word to both supporters and opponents of AB 9 that my goal was consensus, and that I would not move forward with anything that achieved less than that.
“I will continue working to craft legislation on which the interested parties can agree, and which is good for the people and treasury of the state of California.”