California Online Poker Bill Marches On

AB 2026, a bill which would promote a study on legalizing intrastate internet poker in the state of California, was approved last week by the state’s Assembly Governmental Organization Committee (AGOC).  The AGOC approved it unanimously, passing it on to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. 

Lloyd Levine, a Democrat Assemblyman from the San Fernando Valley, penned the bill.  Jim Tabilio, President of Poker Voters of America, and Rod Blonien, representing several brick and mortar card rooms, testified before the AGOC.  

Blonien said that legalized online poker would be helpful to the card rooms because it would bring in more revenue on their busiest nights, Friday and Saturday.  They have to turn away customers because they are filled to capacity on those nights, so with online poker rooms run by the card rooms themselves, they could still cash in on those players logging in from home.  One could also assume that on slower nights, players would still enjoy playing from home, as they could now play without having to take the time to head to the card room. 

He may have also overreacted a bit when he said, “There’s no place that a law abiding Californian can go (online) and play a level game.  What Californians really need is a government regulated and fair website where they could go to play Internet poker,” but his point, in general, is still valid. 

The UIGEA, while aiming to cut off the flow of funds to online poker rooms, does allow for an internet poker room to be operated in the U.S., as long as its customers reside only in the state in which it is operated.