California is a great place to be (legally) to play poker (online!)

Great article, this thing has been in the works here for a while and is sponsored by all the LA area casinos.

California Intrastate Online Poker Bill Clears Another Legislative Hurdle

by PokerPages
Fri, Jun 27th, 2008 @ 12:00am

The California Gambling Control / Intrastate Online Poker Legalization Act (authored by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys) was approved by the Senate Governmental Organization Committee on Tuesday June 24 on a 6-1 vote, with amendments to move forward on drafting regulations and generating projections for potential revenue.


The Attorney General's Bureau of Gambling Control, the state Gaming Control Commission and the Legislative Counsel will now recommend a structure for the system, analyze potential revenue and draft regulations to be included in the bill's language as it moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee in August, its final stop before a Senate floor.


Poker Voters of America President Jim Tabilio said his organization, which serves as the bill's citizen sponsor, is extremely pleased with Tuesday's favorable Committee vote. "It's a good sign that the legislators are taking this issue seriously, understand the importance of the bill and are asking the right questions," said Tabilio. "The plan going forward is to bring together the potential stakeholders to help craft a final version of the bill that protects Californians who play online and maximizes revenue for the state."


"We said four months ago that the goal of Poker Voters of America was creation of a regulated online intrastate system that conforms to Federal law and protects California players by licensing legal, secure and regulated alternatives to offshore online poker," said Tabilio. "Tuesday's vote confirms that we're on track to accomplish that goal."

It only makes sense to play legal online if you only live a block where its legal.(I live only a block from Casino San Pablo and 20+ cardrooms about 50 mile radius). I'm sick of the hurdles I go thru to deposit online. It will cut out some of these middle people out I HOPE

This is interesting but it doesn't solve the problem because even if individual states regulate it, if there is a nationwide law that stops payments being processed, it will be a pain for poker sites and players alike.

Within 20 Miles of me....

Hawaiian Gardens Casino
Bicycle Casino
Crystal Casino
Hustler Casino
Commerce Casino

A little further....

Pechanga
San Manual
Morongo

This, and the hassle of depositing (cloak and dagger), is why I don't play on line for money. Besides. And I don't care what anybody else says here, the RNG's are not the same as a deck of cards.

Straights, flushes and boats just do not appear that often from a real dealer.

Jus Sayin


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Basically this "intrastate" bill makes online poker in california totally legal ... for online poker rooms based in California. Does it "solve nationwide" poker problems? No. But that's not the post, its about how CA is the best It also sets a very important legal precedent for other states (nation?) in the future as legistlature is being made. If the state of CA shows a huge revenue gain from online poker taxes/etc other states will follow in a heartbeat (just like they did when they started building Indian Casinos here). This entire EUIGA B.S. is really over the US Gvt not getting their cut and the monies going offshore. I've always said that www.poker.gov would be great.

And ZigZag I am guessing we might be neighbors or something.
You are so completely wrong it hurts. All of us that grab online poker data and look at the stats see that the stats of likehood of hitting these hands totally hold up.

They would if the dealer could deal as fast as online.

You know, the more I think about it, the more I like this.

It would be pretty cool to head out to the Bicycle, and on the way out, make a deposit so's I can play at home as well.

Very neat and clean.

Now if they could just get those RNG's straightened out....

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+1

Agreed. Also notice that this is an INTRAstate effort (as it must be since Calif can only make laws re Calif). Nothing more than Calif being (as usual) at the head of the class in generating new revenue sources, considering just how deep they are in deficit budgets.

Imagine the overall disaster this could create for US players. Each state seeing a new revenue source, 50 states with 50 different agencies licensing new 'legal' poker sites. Even if each state only had 50 licensees, which of the 2,500 new poker sites will you download ... ??

At least on the surface, this does not sound like a good idea to me.

Are there different RNG's that Calif/US 'legal' rooms could use that will make online poker less (ummmmm....) rigged ...

Nope

But, they're not rigged. Just goofy. IMO


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This is good news. California is known as a trend setter state and this "foot in the door", so to speak, is a good sign.

THink about Powerball in the east coast ... started as intrastate, now its interstate. And you can't tell me that there wouldn't be a "FullTilt: California" or "PokerStars: West Coast USA" built immediately. It's a good thing. Beats more anti-poker legislature.