California Poker Legalisation Drive Continues
Thursday May 16,2013 : CALIFORNIA ONLINE POKER LEGALISATION DRIVE BY TRIBES CONTINUES (Update)
Draft currently being circulated among interested parties
A third major online poker legalization initiative driven by Californian tribal interests has reached final drafting stage and is being circulated among interested parties in the west coast state, according to several media and blog reports.
Rumours of a new tribal initiative, which will be competing with renewed proposals in the California Legislature from Senators Wright and Correa, surfaced earlier this year amid reports that it will introduce clauses not found in the current attempts waiting to progress through the state Legislature.
Among the principal points in the draft are:
* Licensing will be restricted to current California tribal gambling establishment and commercial cardroom operators in a clearly protectionist move.
* In what is sure to generate opposition, provisions that exclude horse racing track and advanced deposit wagering operators (these are included in the Wright proposal).
* Licensing fees of $5 million – $25 million lower than those proposed by Sen. Wright.
* Licence duration of 10 years – twice that of the Wright proposal.
