Redrafting the Online Poker Bill in California

State Sen. Rod Wright, who introduced the California Online Poker Law Enforcement Compliance and Consumer Protection Act, surprisingly announced he had withdrawn the bill at a June 29 hearing in the Governmental Organization Committee he chairs. The bill was opposed by the powerful Indian tribes, poker players, existing sites and anti-gambling organizations. The tribes think they have a monopoly on gambling within the state and don’t want to compete with other entities that is the bad news ,which now the Online poker legislation in California is back to the drawing board, which is good news for poker players in the state.

State Sen Rod Wright plans to sit down with interested parties and craft a bill that will receive broader support in the Internet poker legislation.

The good news is this wasn’t the bill players were looking for, so any derailment from its path is a positive. But one has to wonder if Wright is starting over to craft a bill that will please all parties or just one that will appease the Indian tribes. Only time will tell. It’s unlikely that Wright will introduce his next version of the bill by the end of the year. . The California legislature is on break for all of July, returns for the month of August and then breaks again for the election. Not leaving much time in the session.

During a short hearing in which he discussed his decision, Wright did show an understanding of the issue that should provide players with a hope of optimism.