California poker – Jones-Sawyer bill not dead yet

July 19, 2015

It appears that assessments earlier this month that California Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer’s online poker legalisation bill was dead may have been premature. The assumptions that the bill, titled “Internet Poker Consumer Protection Act of 2015”, had been shelved following its withdrawal from the agenda of a July 8 committee hearing have turned out to be […]

Another California online poker legalisation bill fades

July 11, 2015

It looks as if Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer’s bill AB 167 seeking to legalise online gambling in California may be joining Mike Gatto’s similarly motivated AB9 measure in limbo. Industry political observers have noted that, like Gatto’s bill, AB167 has been withdrawn from the agenda of next week’s Assembly hearing on the issue. Assemblyman Jones-Sawyer has […]

Let California Play! drive launched by Pokerstars

July 3, 2015

Pokerstars and its California tribal and cardroom allies have upped the ante in the fight for fair and open online poker legalisation in the Bear State by launching a new Professional Player Tour initiative titled Let California Play! The initiative will be supported by the www.californians4ipoker.com website launched last month (see previous report). The drive […]

Californian online poker legalisation bill suspended

July 3, 2015

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 […]

California hearing – positive but familiar

June 25, 2015

Yesterday’s California Assembly Government Organization Committee hearings on legalised intrastate online poker is perhaps best summed up as generally positive but familiar in content to that which has gone before. Both supporters and detractors made now well-known submissions, and experts provided factual information on the pros and cons of regulation and licensing and what other […]

Rumour mill casts a shadow over California poker bill

June 7, 2015

Following the negative advertising against Pokerstars by the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians last week (see previous report) a lobbyist has cast further doubts on the chances of a legalised online poker bill passing in California. The lobbyist, David Quintana, represents the California Tribal Business Alliance and told the publication Capitol Weekly Friday that state […]

California online gambling legalisation bill makes it out of committee

May 29, 2015

California Assemblyman Adam Gray’s AB431 online poker legalisation bill made it out of its second Assembly committee – the Appropriations Committee – Thursday although interested parties and committee members remain divided on its future content. Early but still unconfirmed reports indicated that the 17-member committee, made up of 12 Democrats and 5 Republicans, progressed the […]

Interest groups manouvre for advantage in California

May 27, 2015

The sharp differences of opinion among two of California’s main alliances on the legalisation of online poker was demonstrated yet again this week when the Pechanga tribal coalition sought to halt the advance of the favoured legalisation bill, AB431, out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee where it currently sits, and the Morongo-Pokerstars-Cardroom grouping which wants […]

Churchill Downs prepares for California online poker action

May 23, 2015

Several media reports, quoting informed sources, report that racetrack company Churchill Downs will soon announce a partnership deal with Californian cardroom Oceans 11, and possibly the Crystal land casino, as part of its preparations to compete in a legalised and regulated online poker market that could emerge in California. For the seventh year running Californian […]

California regulators confident on handling legalised online poker

May 21, 2015

Wednesday’s informational hearing on internet poker by California’s joint Senate-Assembly Governmental Organization committees (see previous  reports) was told by the state gambling regulator that, in partnership with the California Department of Justice, legalised online poker… and who is suitable for licensing…can be impartially and professionally regulated. Tiffany Conklin of the California Gambling Control Commission voiced […]