I have this vision of how the Ca OLP market can thrive. Win-Win for all parties, OLP sites, B&M sites, Local and state governments.
It will not be centered on any particular platform (most of us would want Stars to be that platform), and any legislation would work toward insuring that no monopoly existed. Superior business practices might create a de-facto monopoly, but it would not be codified into law.
All the card rooms in Ca that want to join would have little incentive not to join. OLP site would need to show they have been responsible for some reasonable period of time, OR put up such a massive deposit up front that they should have been responsible for that period of time. So for instance Stars has shown itself extremely responsible for like forever, and any entry fee would be small, vs , lets say Lock, who if they wanted in would have to put up a deposit equal to all the money all Lock players have ever deposited at Lock. Bovada/
bodog has a good rep, Merge has a good rep now but not for such a long time, and would pay more. Those are examples.
Initial deposits by players would be IN PERSON, at any B&M card room in the network. Personally I live close to many card rooms and it isn't a problem, many do not live close to a card room. Ca. has card rooms all over the state, so requiring that intitial depost to be made is at most an inconvenience to some. Every card room here in So.Ca requires players to get a Players Card. It is a form of ID, and control. I had to prove I am who I say I am, and that I am old enough to play poker. As I've said before this is a good thing. It addresses the 2 biggest issues used against OLP, underage, and problem
gambling. There are other reason this has been a good thing historically for the B&M card rooms.
Those player lists would become part of a Statewide Poker Player database. Some newly established Government entity would have access to that database.
Initially the Ca IRS would not have access to that database.
When I as a player walk into any participating card room, with anything like a wad of buck in my pocket, the card rooms should be thrilled. Even if I put it all into an OLP site, they know that I have been exposed to the card room atmosphere and it will start working on the inner me and the innate human nature to socialize while gaming. It might not pay off for them on day 1, but any reasonably sane marketing peeps can figure out the long game.
After obtaining a Players card for that card room, I go to an OLP cage and state my intention; "I want to deposit $xx at <OLP site name> in the name of <username>". A cashier takes the money, verifies my card, accesses the site, and makes that deposit instantly. I get some sort of receipt and walk away. I am done there. A smarter card room would probably put that cage where I get a full tour of the card room. Temptation is immutable.
After the initial flood of OLP players, which would create long lines, and new friends, there probably would not be much action at those windows, and the staffing would be minimal, eventually handled at the normal Cashiers window. The process would take about as long as stopping at the concession stand to pick up a drink before hitting the table.
I would think all parties would welcome a global player pool. Ca. stacks up extremely well with a long and well established pool of poker talent. It is the daily world wide leader in players playing poker (active tables). No other government entity (State or Country) even comes close. While
france might be a good comparison population wise, poker wise France is second rate.
The important part as I see it for the different parties as thus;
For the Gov, a chance to show control, they would be responsible for insuring consumer protections. The State may make a few more bucks without increasing any taxes anywhere along the line. If they see this as some sort of magic bullet, or magic windfall, they will doom it. The State may see more normal income from Gamblers who sometimes forget to add in any gambling income to their tax forms. There would definitely be some new jobs created, regardless of where the OLP sites are based, as the state can require, in any case, that servers be located in Ca. and tended to by California residents. They might also require customer service positions, in state, for each OLP site involved.
For B&M card rooms. Imagine their absolutely best advertising campaign ever, then multiply by at least 2. They get players walking in their doors with money in their pockets. That's a gawd damned bonanza to them.
For the OLP sites; duh, they get the foothold they want.
For the players...... really, you expect me to tell you what you will get?
For the Moralist objectors... a fairly well establish way to prevent underage gambling, and a pretty well established way to point out problem gambling (like addiction).
For the non participating card rooms or those entities who still hold on to a fenced OLP notion of poker in Ca..... Nothing, or at best a NJ experience.
What have I missed?