The end of August could see an online poker bill that is currently moving through the California Senate come to a decision that may set precedence for other states to follow if it is approved.  It is going to the Senate Appropriations Committee and if they approve it, its next stop will be for a full vote by the state’s legislature.  If the California State Senate should agree to pass the bill, the state will be the first to offer its citizens legalized online poker that meets the guidelines of the UIGEA.

The bill was introduced by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, a Democrat who represents Van Nuys.  His name will go in the history books if his bill is passed.  The state will be able to regulate and legalize intrastate online poker, and may very well set up the rules that other states could follow.  The bill was originally intended to form a commission to study online poker and how California’s citizens react to the game, good or bad.  The study was to provide enough information to allow the state’s lawmakers to decide whether or not to legalize the game.  The study’s results have been debated and discussed among the legislators of the state and is now up for a final vote to implement the findings.

Meeting conditions outlined by the UIGEA, the state’s Senate Governmental Organization Committee (GOC) voted 6 to 1 to have the California Bureau of Gambling Control work with the California Gambling Control Commission (CGCC) to develop regulations for when the bill was legalized.  The two groups are to have them ready to put into effect no later that July 1, 2009.  Both groups have the whole-hearted support of the citizens, most notably the Poker Voters of America.  According to the Poker Voters of America’s President Jim Tabilio, the positive movement of the bill is considered a good sign for all and he is especially pleased that the states legislators are taking the bill seriously.  "The plan going forward is to bring together the potential stakeholders to help craft a final version of the bill that protects Californians who play online and maximizes revenue for the state," Tabilio stated in a recent interview.

The bill has some opposition, however, from the Indian tribes in the state that run gaming establishments in the state.  They feel that they could be left out of the online poker business if the bill is passed and that they may be required to adjust any compacts that already exist with the state government.  Tabilio has assured them that they will be able to participate in the online poker venture and that they are considered a key element to the bill’s success.

Currently, the bill is worded in such a way that licensing and registration of online poker websites will be mandatory.  There will be a registration fee and the sites will have to meet the Commissions requirement that pertain to networks.  Player protection has also been written into the bill as this is one of the major considerations across the country regarding legalized online gambling.