A last ditch attempt by Assemblyman Adam Gray was unable to move the needle, and California's efforts to legalize online poker in 2016 are now officially over.
Gray's gambit saw the Assemblyman radically alter the suitability language in the bill to gain the support of the hardliner Pechanga coalition. By prohibiting PokerStars from applying for a license for a period of at least five years (and perhaps longer based on some readings of the bill) did appease the Pechanga coalition, but it also caused the PokerStars coalition to abandon ship.
Whatever support was gained, it appears an equal amount of support was lost.
The legislature had until August 31 to pass the bill, but AB 2863 suffered the same fate as all of its predecessors. It failed to be brought to the floor of the Assembly for a vote, let alone sent on to the California Senate or the governor's desk.
Next year will almost certainly see new online poker efforts emerge, but barring a major shakeup or defections from the two entrenched coalitions, it's hard to see a path forward suddenly presenting itself.
It will also be interesting to see where the jumping off point is for suitability language. Will Gray continue to push for his newly adopted penalty box period for PokerStars, or revert back to his previous, softer stance, whereby PokerStars could avoid the penalty box by paying a one-time fee?
Pennsylvania and Michigan are still trying.
Gray's gambit saw the Assemblyman radically alter the suitability language in the bill to gain the support of the hardliner Pechanga coalition. By prohibiting PokerStars from applying for a license for a period of at least five years (and perhaps longer based on some readings of the bill) did appease the Pechanga coalition, but it also caused the PokerStars coalition to abandon ship.
Whatever support was gained, it appears an equal amount of support was lost.
The legislature had until August 31 to pass the bill, but AB 2863 suffered the same fate as all of its predecessors. It failed to be brought to the floor of the Assembly for a vote, let alone sent on to the California Senate or the governor's desk.
Next year will almost certainly see new online poker efforts emerge, but barring a major shakeup or defections from the two entrenched coalitions, it's hard to see a path forward suddenly presenting itself.
It will also be interesting to see where the jumping off point is for suitability language. Will Gray continue to push for his newly adopted penalty box period for PokerStars, or revert back to his previous, softer stance, whereby PokerStars could avoid the penalty box by paying a one-time fee?
Pennsylvania and Michigan are still trying.