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A coalition of 46 card clubs and Indian casinos is disbanding in frustration over the failure to legalize online poker in the state of California. The Golden State was widely considered to be at the forefront of state legalization for Web poker and it would have provided a lucrative platform as California alone is ranked as the 6th largest economy in the world.
Legalization bills were introduced this year and last but failed to make it out of committee, in part because of disagreement within the gambling industry over who should be given the state-sanctioned games or whether they would hurt brick-and-mortar casinos, according to the LA Times Blog.
The California Online Poker Association will effectively dissolve immediately, making the chances of a bill passing to legalize online poker in the state that much harder.
"The decision was based upon insufficient progress within the legislature toward the passage of an online poker bill," said Ryan Hightower, COPA's spokesperson.
Sen. Roderick Wright (D-Inglewood), one of the bill’s co-authors, believes Internet poker is still on the menu in California even without COPA. He referred to the group as a ``grand experiment. You had former enemies trying to work together. People didn't have the same interests.''
The 2013-14 California Legislative Session begins on December 3, 2012, at which point a new bill can be introduced. None of the previous proposals passed beyond the Legislative Committee.
- Nagesh Rath, Gambling911.com
