California, Here Online Poker Comes!
Even if an online poker room is run by an overseas operator in a country that legally permits such activity, it is currently still illegal for Californians to place bets with such establishments.
But on Tuesday, June 24 California’s Senate Governmental Organization Committee approved the California Gambling Control/Intrastate Online Poker Legalization Act with a vote of 7-1. The act, authored by California Democratic Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, Van Nuys, includes amendments for moving forward with the process of drafting the necessary regulations and coming up with projections for creating possible revenue.
Citizen bill sponsor, Poker Voters of America, is pleased with the decision, to say the least, which amends the Gambling Control Act to permit operators who are licensed by the state to offer online poker exclusively to Californians and implement protections for California online poker players while maximizing the revenue the state can produce from internet poker.
The bill next will be brought before the Senate Appropriations Committee on its long and winding path to establishing legal, regulated internet poker in California.