California Holding Hearing On Online Poker Feb 9

The California Senate Governmental Organization Committee will hold what they’re calling an “informal” hearing entitled “Examining the Public Policy and Fiscal Implications Related to the Authorization of Intrastate Internet Poker in California” starting on Tuesday, February 9. It will take place from 9:30 am – 5:30 pm in room 4203 of the State Capitol in Sacramento. The agenda for the meeting includes scheduled statements from various tribal leaders, online poker players, commercial card rooms, internet service providers, and representatives of the California Gambling Control Commission. Also present to have their voices heard at the hearing will be anti-gambling folks too.

The reason for the hearing is that the California State Senate, if you haven’t heard, is looking to explore how feasible it would be to earn tax revenue dollars via legalizing, licensing, and regulating intra-state online gambling, including online poker. That means only residents of California will be able to use the sites, but it’s a big state. And an even bigger precedent if it passes. It would be a real boon to the state (or any state, for that matter), to allow online gambling in the state by state regulated operators rather than trying to enforce penalties against illegal online gaming operators located offshore but still sneakily trying to serve customers within the state.

More than the anti-gaming crowd, as it turns out, it is the casino owning and operating Morongo Band of Mission Indians who have presented the biggest block to this effort, wanting to maintain exclusivity in California gaming online.

In the meantime, the federal U.S. Congress is still trying to pass a nationwide legal online poker, online casino, and online gambling bill into law, the effort spearheaded by Rep. Barney Frank.