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 […]

Barton is back with poker legalisation bill

June 26, 2015

There’s a sense of deja vu about American online gambling bills, which appear to be regularly introduced, fail and are then re-introduced in a subsequent legislative season, and that is the case with Texas Representative Joe Barton and in the latest iteration of his Internet Poker Freedom Act. On Thursday Barton was back again with […]

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 […]

Quality witness list for today’s legalisation hearing in California

June 24, 2015

Pennsylvania Assemblyman Adam Gray, who chairs the Assembly Government Organization Committee hearing later today (24 June) in California, has gathered together a formidable list of expert witnesses who will impart their knowledge during the afternoon session. Our readers can tune in to the audio stream on the hearing from 1.30pm Eastern Standard Time here: http://assembly.ca.gov/listen/4202-audio […]

California online poker coaltion goes on the offensive

June 19, 2015

A new online poker legalisation initiative, dubbed Californians for Responsible iPoker has launched, supported by a website at www.californians4ipoker.com. Funded and managed by the pro-online poker legalisation coalition consisting of Pokerstars and its parent group Amaya Gaming, the Morongo and San Manuel Bands of Mission Indians and the Bicycle, Commerce and Hawaiian Gardens cardrooms, the […]

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 […]

Four Republican senators in Pennsylvania support legalised online poker

June 4, 2015

Four Republican senators in Pennsylvania, led by state Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, are preparing to introduce legislation to allow Internet gambling, according to the publication Philly.com. The forthcoming bill was advertised Wednesday in a memo to fellow senators advising that the new measure will permit existing Pennsylvania casinos to offer Internet gambling. Players […]

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 […]

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 […]