Efforts Stall for Internet Poker in California

After strong arguments for and against two pieces of intrastate online poker legislation in California, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) pronounced the efforts dead for 2011, according to the Oakland Tribune.

State Sen. Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) had said his Senate Bill 40 would create 1,300 jobs and $1.4 billion in revenue over the next decade. Despite the potential benefits, some gaming tribes were not in support of the measure, arguing the legislation’s $50 million license fee would create an unfair advantage. The bill was never acted upon in committee.

Steinberg wrote to stakeholders Monday that “significant, unresolved issues remain, including tribal exclusivity and waiver of sovereign immunity, the types of games that would be authorized, who would be eligible to apply for gaming site licenses and potential federal constitutional questions.”

With the legislative year ending Sept. 9, Steinberg is hoping for another proposal in January. “There is time to get this right, and it is imperative that we do so,” he said. While Correa’s bill, which would legalize only online poker, appears to be the favorite moving forward, Sen. Rod Wright (D-Inglewood) is leading legislation that would legalize all forms of Internet gambling.

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