California poker proposal to gain more support

This story was published more than 12 years ago.

Senator Louis Correa's bill SB 40 in California, proposing the legalisation of intrastate online poker, could gain further support following recent amendments that increase the number of licenses achievable from one to five. Still restrictive and protective of local companies, the licenses will enable Indian tribal groups and established card rooms to operate online poker websites.

The amendment gives Correa and his supporters significantly more manouevring room, and were implemented late last week, presumably with the continued support of the California Online Poker Association (COPA), the California Nations Indian Gaming Association CNIGA) and the California Gaming Association (CGA).

The amendments suggest the issue of three licenses immediately the bill is approved by the legislature and the governor. Two additional licenses would be held for issue at the discretion of the California Gambling Control Commission if conditions over the following three years justified this.

Correa used the opportunity afforded by the amendments to build in a licence fee calculated at 10% of licensee revenues, over and above the hefty one-off levy in the original bill.

The bill has yet to make significant legislative progress.

Source: InfoPowa News