California Wants Online Poker Legalized Now

California Senator Lou Correa has amended his California bill SB40 in an effort to legalize online poker in the state before federal legislation is passed.

Correa has marked his bill with an “urgency category”, resulting in the bill remaining active to progress at this year’s legislative phase without having to beat committee deadlines.

The only thing needed, a signature from Democratic California Governor Jerry Brown.

Correa says:  “with federal action looming and the market wide open, we have to quickly authorise online poker in California”, adding that “to delay will mean the loss of more than $1.4 billion in new state revenue at a time when it is severely needed”.

The fear is that jobs would move to other states.

The April 15 indictments of three of the world’s largest Internet poker rooms demonstrates just how big an impact the industry can have on local economies.  PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker room and one of the three indicted companies, has returned over $100 million to players. 

Elsewhere, the World Series of Poker and ESPN are likely to take a severe financial hit from the recent clampdown.

- Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher