In an interview, Gatto said the provision is more a “bad assets” list. Most controversial, however, is what’s been described as a “bad actors” clause in Gatto’s bill that would potentially bar the powerful Morongo Band of Mission Indians from operating a site.

It would require authorized groups to pay a one-time license deposit of $5 million into the state’s general fund to operate an online poker site. Late last year, Assemblyman Mike Gatto, D-Los Angeles, introduced AB 9, which he calls the Internet Poker Consumer Protection Act of 2015. The use of any online poker site by the state would be limited to California residents only, though with nearly 40 million people in the state, observers say it would leave its owners flush with cash.īelow is a look at how the California bills compare. Given the competing interests in California, several observers gave the Golden State only a 50/50 chance that either of its bills will become law this year. It’s a question of how do the tribes in California fit into the puzzle,” said Lee Acebedo, executive director of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association. While Pala is considered among the most aggressive on the topic, many other tribes are eager to play a hand in online poker. A spokesman for the tribe declined comment for this article. The Pala Band of Mission Indians, based in North San Diego County, established an Internet poker website for New Jersey residents last fall, becoming the first tribe to break into the online gaming market. Several other states, including Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts and Texas, have considered but not approved online poker proposals. Since then, Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware have all approved rules allowing their residents to play on state-regulated poker sites. That allowed states to decide whether to legalize the practice within their borders. Justice Department reversed a 2006 federal ban on Internet gambling. That’s a huge market that we’re all losing out on,” said Cody Martinez, chairman of the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, which operates Sycuan Casino east of El Cajon.

Hundreds of millions of dollars are leaving the state. “This discussion has been going on for six years.

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