California Online Poker Bill Sees Reggie Jones-Sawyer Warm Up to PokerStars Possibility

California State Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer, whose new online poker bill is far more inclusive than past drafts, would welcome racetracks and PokerStars into the Golden State video gaming market also.
A new California online poker bill, sponsored by State Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), has become on the table to oppose the bill introduced by fellow State Assemblyman Mike Gatto in December.
The Sawyer-Jones bill, AB 167, seeks to establish ‘a proper structure that is regulatory place providing you with safe and compliant internet poker access,’ the assemblyman announced yesterday.
So how do the two bills that are new? And much more to the stage, how exactly does the Jones-Sawyer that is new bill with his previous bill, AB2291, which foundered regarding the rocks of last year’s legislative session?
No actors that are bad
Jones-Sawyer said by the end of the 2014 session that a new, revised bill could be a high priority for 2015, and indicated that this time, the ‘bad actor’ language would be softened. The non-severable bad actor clauses of AB229 proved to become a sticking point for stakeholders, and caused a significant schism between those who wanted PokerStars in the marketplace and the ones whom didn’t.
Sure enough, AB 167 seems to own eliminated those bad star provisions, apparently clearing the means for PokerStars to enter a regulated Ca market. Those precluded from applying for a poker that is online, states the bill, include:
‘The person [who] has contemptuously defied a legislative investigative body, or other official investigative human anatomy of a state or associated with the United States or an international jurisdiction, when that body is engaged into the investigation of crimes relating to poker, official corruption related to poker activities, or criminal profiteering activity or organized crime, as defined in area l 86.2 of the Penal Code.’
The bill continues to clarify a position that is key could directly affect PokerStars potential entry into the Golden State market, given its previously vilified owners vs. its brand new, ‘clean slate’ ones.
‘ The person [who] has been convicted in a court of competent jurisdiction of a felony consisting of either having accepted a bet over the Internet in violation of United States or California law, or having abetted or aided that unlawful activity.’
Note the use for the word ‘person,’ which suggests that PokerStars, by divesting itself of its previous owners, against whom there were outstanding DOJ indictments, would have the ability to participate in the California online market unscathed.
Anti-PokerStars Coalition Denounces Language
The language is in sharp contrast with that of last 12 months’s bill from Jones-Sawyer, which proposed to exclude ‘any brand or company name, including any brand that is derivative with the exact same or similar wording, or any trade or solution mark, software, technology, functional system, customer information, or other data acquired, derived, or developed directly or indirectly from any operation that has accepted a bet or engaged in a financial deal associated with such bet from any individual in the us on any kind of Web gaming after December 31, 2006.’
If Jones-Sawyer believes his bill will sail through because of the backing for the stakeholders, however, he has another think coming, as the anti-PokerStars coalition that is tribal no amount of time in denouncing this language.
‘There is a lot for tribes to dislike about any of it bill,’ said Pechanga Chairman Mark Macarro. ‘we have been disappointed that the bill disregards important principles from the broad coalition of respected tribes and card rooms that help prevent corporations and entities that previously violated federal law from profiting from tainted software, brands, and databases derived from illegal activity.’
Photo Finish for Racetracks and Liquidity
Other major news for AB https://casino-online-australia.net/ladbrokes-casino-review/ 167 is the inclusion of California racetracks in a post-regulation landscape, which many felt was indeed unjustly ignored by previous bills. The sharing of liquidity with other states, expressly forbidden in preceding draft bills, appears to be on the menu this right time, and there’s additionally a suggestion that players on unlicensed sites could be prosecuted.
The license fee would cost $10 million, with a tax-rate set at 8.5 percent of gross video gaming revenue. Once language has been agreed upon, the bill shall require two-thirds of this vote to pass.
New Bill Would Decriminalize Fantasy Sports in Washington
State Senator Pam Roach introduced a bill that would legalize fantasy sports games in the state of Washington. (Image: PamRoach.com)
Hawaii of Washington is understood for having a number of the harshest gambling that is online in the United States.
However these laws go even more than many realize: Washington additionally considers fantasy sports to be considered a form of gambling, meaning that players who purchase their online fantasy sports leagues are theoretically breaking the law, and could even be charged with a felony underneath the same rules that criminalize online poker and casino games.
That’s something which many officials that are local prefer to be changed.
With an estimated 500,000 residents in the state fantasy that is playing games, State Senator Pam Roach (R-31st District) says it’s time and energy to reclassify the contests being a game of skill rather than as luck-based gambling.
‘Our state views dream football as being a game of chance a felony criminal activity,’ Roach said. ‘Congress has long considered dream football to be a casino game of skill. My bill shall replace the state’s definition.’
Washington Residents Restricted from Fantasy Sports Sites
Now, many major online fantasy sports outlets block Washington residents from participating on their sites, including top daily fantasy sites like FanDuel and DraftKings.
Conventional season long leagues on web sites like ESPN.com are frequently available to Washington residents, but they are typically ineligible to win awards.
The situation is that many states see fantasy recreations as a game title of skill.
Nevertheless the Washington State Gambling Commission nevertheless sees luck being a big factor that is enough classify it as gambling under present state laws.
‘There’s always the opportunity the Seattle Seahawks will keep coming back from two touchdowns down with two minutes left,’ stated commission chairman Chris Stearns, talking about the Seahawks’ improbable comeback into the NFC Championship game weekend that is last. ‘Whereas in many states, the fact that you’ve spent all this time poring over stats and making your spreadsheets that are own that’s the skill part, and that weighs most heavily.’
Sports Betting Would Remain Illegal
Under the proposed law, there would nevertheless be a prohibition on placing bets on the result of real life events that are sporting.
Nonetheless, both daily and season-long fantasy activities could be expressly appropriate, even for real cash play.
The bill appears to have better odds than a similar bill that would decriminalize and regulate online poker; the fantasy recreations bill has bi-partisan support and has found lots of sponsors on both edges of the aisle.
Companion bills have now been introduced in both the House of Representatives and their state Senate.
The legalization effort is supported by the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, a business group based away from Chicago.
According to your group, more than 41 million people in America and Canada play fantasy sports, and nearly half of them play for real money.
‘We think residents of Washington ought to be in a position to have fun with the full array of fantasy sports contests offered in 45 other states and be able to win prizes in free contests offered by major media companies,’ stated relationship chairman Peter Schoenke in a statement.
Washington is one of five states in which residents are typically blocked from playing on daily fantasy sports sites.
As we recently reported, energy is increasing in many of these states to legalize such games: recently, a Montana lawmaker introduced a bill that would enable residents to be involved in contests where the entry charge was $100 or less.
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker Rejects Kenosha Casino Project
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has rejected a casino that is proposed Kenosha, with some saying the move may be linked to his presidential aspirations. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has put the kibosh on a proposed casino plan, saying that building the venue would be too costly simply to taxpayers to be allowed.
In a statement, Walker said that the state could have been liable for up to $100 million to your Potawatomi tribe, which owns a casino in Milwaukee, as a result of agreements involving the tribe and their state.
Under the compact that governs the contract between Wisconsin as well as the Potawatomi tribe, their state is responsible for reimbursing the tribe for any revenue lost to other casinos that available in the state.
‘After a review that is comprehensive of possible economic impact of the proposed Kenosha casino project, the risk to the state’s taxpayers is too great,’ Walker said in a statement. ‘Due to the compacts negotiated by Governor Doyle, the cost that is current taxpayers of approving the proposed casino task is as much as $100 million and also the long-term economic hit to the state budget would be a potential loss of vast sums of dollars.’
The casino that is new which would have price about $800 million to build, was to be considered a joint endeavor between the Menominee Tribe and tough Rock, which will have been responsible for operating the casino. The project ended up being approved in 2013 by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, but it still required approval through the governor of Wisconsin before it could get ahead.
Casino Supporters See Politics Behind Decision
The Menominee Tribe saw other motivations behind his decision while Walker said the rejection was a way to protect residents of the state from a financial obligation.
‘One tribe, the Forest County Potawatomi and one goal of Governor Walker, the presidency, has led to a ‘no’ for the people,’ the tribe said in a declaration.
Many governmental observers believe that Walker could be planning for a run during the Republican nomination for the presidency in 2016. The Menominee statement suggested that Walker’s decision was made to placate conservatives who are opposed to casino gambling. One prominent Iowa conservative, Tom Coates, recently penned a letter to Walker urging him to reject the casino. That letter ended up being also signed by 600 potential caucus voters from Iowa.
Whatever the motivation behind Walker’s decision, numerous locals in Kenosha had been disappointed in your choice.
‘ There were people ready to down go to work here, and that is maybe not going to take place now,’ Kenosha Mayor Keith Bosman told WTMJ.
With Kenosha Out of the real Way, Beloit Hopes for Federal Attention
It is feasible that Kenosha’s loss could be Beloit’s gain. Supporters of a Ho-Chunk Nation casino into the city hope that the rejection of the Menominee casino could mean that their task will pass through federal now review more quickly.
The city and the tribe experienced a preliminary deal in place since 2012, but officials say these people were told that the Bureau of Indian Affairs were delaying a determination in part because of the Kenosha proposal. The Ho-Chunk were publicly opposed to the Kenosha task.
Regardless of the rejection, but, the Menominee say they will soldier on.
‘We must remember all the Menominee Nation has overcome much more than 10,000 years,’ the tribe said in a statement. ‘ We are going to continue to flourish as being a Nation and will continue to be honorable partners for Indian Tribes in Wisconsin and around the country.’