California online poker bill passes through committee

ll to legalise online poker in California has been approved by the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 431, which was introduced by Assemblyman Adam Gray in February, received 14 yes votes and zero no votes, while three committee members did not submit a vote.

According to GamblingCompliance, the bill will now advance to the Assembly floor, where it will be held until the conclusion of two further hearings on the matter have concluded, which begin on 24 June and 8 July.

The bill was unanimously approved by members of the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee, which Gray chairs, in April.

A coalition, made up of provider Amaya Gaming, Indian tribes the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, and card rooms the Bicycle Hotel and Casino, the Commerce Casino and Hawaiian Gardens Casino, sent out a statement in response to the vote, that was published by Online Poker Report.

The statement read: “We’re pleased that AB 431 passed out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee today. We are optimistic this new development represents another step forward in the growing effort to authorise and regulate online poker in 2015.

“Clearly there is much left to do to draft bill language that meets the needs of Californians for a safe and competitive online market, but success is within our grasp if all stakeholders seriously engage in the process.”