Thanks for the cliffs PX. This would have been a lot more useful to those of us in CA who depended on online poker if these steps had been taken in 2011, but if something gets done by 2015 i guess it's better late than never.

In the meantime, i guess it's live pokers for us in the golden state :/

Nice to see update to percentage of pot rake method to align with current online play. That would help for linking to other states in interstate market.

Player penalty and ability to seize property from winnings seems very bad, not sure if it would really be enforced but escalates risk to players while waiting the months/year to set up regulatory framework.

No timelines on getting things up and running could be risky that regulators take forever to draw up the regs.

No idea how you to interstate play with servers always having to be located in the state that authorizes the play but I guess that could be changed in the future. Plus CA can support its own pool.

Guess it is a small step in some direction not sure if forward or just sideways. At least there could be a chance in Jan 2014 or introduced again next year with time to pass next august. I doubt it is much of an election issue in CA.

Regs are required within 120 days. First licenses within one year.

This somewhat surprises me, though it is obviously good news. With a more than sufficient player base I wasn't sure CA would want to form compacts with other states. Obviously, this just leaves the door open and doesn't necessarily mean they will actually ever do it.

That link appears to be broken.

Try this:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/po...rch_type=email

I predict that some time in the near future one of the cable TV stations will debut a new reality show: Real CA Casino Owners....



Skallagrim

That works. Thanks.

SB-678 was amended yesterday. The changes mostly were administrative - correcting or clarifying the wording.

It's interesting to see these detailed changes come at this late stage of the session. Someone went through the bill with a fine-toothed comb to make all the language correct. Perhaps there is life left for this bill this year.

These are the substantive changes:

To qualify for a Poker Platform Operator, there is no longer a requirement that a cardroom must have operated continuously for three years prior to making an application.

Players can have multiple accounts on the same network, site or skins of the site as long as they aren't allowed to "play more than one position at the same table at the same time."

Withdrawals can be to either a bank account or credit card (was just a bank account before amendment).

The one-time license fee (advance payment against future site revenue taxes) is set at $10M.

^^^^^^ Gives me some hope.

so is there a date we need to be looking to for this bill?

September 13 is the last day for each house to pass bills(J.R. 61(a)(14)).
If passed the governor has until October 13th to sign the bill.

It is not uncommon for the legislature will usually to pass 50+ bills on the last day of the session.

Above you will see some declaration that the bill is tabled right now. Next year might be a chance, I saw a twitter that had some info but can't find it any more, on tribes getting behind ipoker a bit more.

CA politics shouldn't affect a bill in an election year, really just need tribes to say ok and it will pass.

Article found .. http://www.pe.com/local-news/politic...ssions-end.ece, read this and you will know all about CA poker politics .. reading article maybe 10% chance most likely less. I think it is getting closer though lets hope for 2014 and the fun CA poker could be.

http://www.gamblingcompliance.com/node/52330 . wish I had a sub to this site, lots of interesting stories come out from here with highly credible writers. I give it a 60/40 of it passing next year at this point

^^^ I would agree 60/40 in 2014 .. not sure which is the 60 and the 40 .. all depends on the tribes and horse racing. I think Santa Anita will stay only a track, and hollywood park is now only gambling .. so a bit less power to the tracks.

For 2013 < 10% and about to go to 0%. Maybe we can get cards in air by 2015.

Further updates to the bill today "License fee: $10m. Tax/fee rate: 10% of GGR. Eligible B2C: Qualified tribes and card rooms.Firmer bad-actor provisions; Skin Licenses no longer exclusive to eligible Poker Room Operators and Poker Platform Operators. A raft of amendments to #CA #Internet #poker bill SB51 is also pending. License fee to fall from $30m to $15m." Chris Krafcik @CKrafcik.

Do these changes suggest some last minute scramble to try to pass this tomorrow?

it sounds like San Manuel (sb 678) are trying all they can to get their bill passed before end of session. It sounds like the other cali tribes are already set on 2014 instead. the sb 1436 changes are sort of surprising, but it always felt like it had the least momentum out of all the bills and potential bills.

SB51 changes are minimal:
License fee $15M instead of $30M.
Addition for bad actors: settlement of a case without admission of guilt is not evidence of no unlawful activity.
Tribes can issue their own employee work permits for ipoker.

New amendments for SB678 aren't recorded yet, so I haven't seen them.

What's SB 1436?

Sounds like we have a 1 outer, but is there any way to sweat this live today?

meant sb 51. today posted by Chris Krafcik @CKrafcik. "CA #Internet #poker bill SB51 amended. Bad-actor language softened. License fee reduced from $30m to $15m. Tribal self-reg. powers added." Sounds like the tribal self-reg would be pretty significant. Tribes hated the bill

Encouraging information here .. I'll assume if Assembly/Senate pass then Brown would sign, I doubt there is that much public opposition just tribes .. if they are on board then perhaps it could happen.

Poker Fuse info http://pokerfuse.com/news/law-and-re...in-early-2014/

Feeling a bit of shill, but all pub is good pub .. 2014 will be a big year for sure ...

http://calvinayre.com/2013/10/07/bus...line-gambling/

What do people think the timeline would be like from law passing to sites up and running?

A few months? A year?

California a year for sure, hopefully not much more, optimistic goal maybe 30% chance of happening .. Jan 14 pass bill, Feb 14 sign bill, cards in air very late 14 or early 15. Go go go and I'll throw a one time baby in there for good luck.