California Continues To Push For Online Poker Legislation

There are 10 states country pushing for the legalization of online poker and California is expected to be the first among the ten states to legalize online poker. The process has been slow so far, as the legalization of online poker in California has been going on for close to two years but a final decision is yet to be made.

However, the push for online poker in California has been going in the right direction as lawmakers have held a number of meetings in 2015 to discuss legislature surrounding the online gambling industry.

Surveys conducted in California suggest that 68% of locals are in favor to legalize online poker, which is an increase when compared to 2014. Adam Gray’s AB 431 bill for the regulation of online poker has also been approved by the committee and has now been sent to the Assembly floor for approval.

PokerStars, the biggest online poker website in the world has also started actively campaigning for online poker to be legalized in California. PokerStars is yet to launch operations in the United States after being forced to shutdown operations during the infamous Black Friday crackdown. The company has brought together some of the most popular poker players in America to be part of its ‘Let California Play’ campaign. Three of California’s largest cardrooms and the Morongo tribe have also partnered with PokerStars to push for online poker.

In the past, a number of Indian tribes such as the Pala, Rincon and United Auburn tribes have been opposed to allowing PokerStars to enter California considering what happened before Black Friday. However, all three tribes have now decided to change their stance and throw their support behind the ‘Let California Play’ campaign and are pushing for the state government to pass iPoker legislation. The PokerStars campaign has so far visited eleven casinos in California with a focus to education Californians on online poker and to get more support to push for the legalization of online poker.

Poker analysts believe that unless the online poker community needs to continue its efforts to push the state government in 2015 and only then will it force California legislators make a final decision in 2016. Only Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware have so far legalized online poker and if California does not legalize online poker by 2016, then it will most likely be Pennsylvania who becomes the fourth state.