California online poker bill advances

mmittee has allowed the advancing of an online poker bill in California.

The Assembly Governmental Organization (GO) Committee voted unanimously for AB 431 to advance to the next legislative step.

The bill, which was introduced by GO Committee Chairman Adam Gray in February, is the first of its kind to have received a committee hearing in California and can now be moved out of the GO Committee.

Some last minute amendments were made to the bill, which caused a majority of those that were in opposition to the bill, such as the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, to change their stance from opposed to neutral.

Pechanga chairman Mark Macarro said in a statement regarding the hearing (published by Online Poker Report): “We look forward to a meaningful process and arriving at comprehensive legislation that respects California’s longstanding public policy of limited gaming, protects children and the vulnerable, creates jobs, provides additional revenues for the State, and protects consumers and the integrity of the gaming industry from organizations that do not and have not respected U.S. law.”

Three more hearings on the issue of online poker in the state are scheduled to take place later this year.

The third of these hearings on 8 July, which will cover AB 9 and AB 167, separate online poker bills tabled by Assemblymen Mike Gatto and Reginald Jones-Sawyer respectively, is reportedly the hearing where a final bill could emerge from the process.