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Poker Superstars
Phil Hellmuth
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California Poker Study Bill Moves Forward |
 We heard a couple weeks ago about how a prospective study into the ‘luck vs. skill’ debate that seems to be dictating so much of the fate of online poker had been proposed in the state of California and could potentially shed some light on the different between the two camps in the poker world. Thankfully now, the bill that would make that study a reality has been sent forward in the California Assembly Governmental Organization Committee (AGOC) by a unanimous vote to bring the bill before the California Assembly Appropriations Committee.
The bill proposes that the ‘luck vs. skill’ study be implemented in the state of California, and if brought into play the study would then be scheduled to come before California Legislature by June 30, 2009.
The bill was written by Democrat Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, who also testified at the bill’s hearing. Rod Blonien, a representative of the card rooms at the Commerce Club, Hollywood Park, the Lucky Derby, the Lucky Lady, Garden City and Lucky Chances.
“Many of the clubs that I mentioned are maxed out on Friday and Saturday nights. We have more players than we have seats available,” Blonien said. “Many of those people go home and play online.”
Blonien also discussed the dangers of leaving poker players to fend for themselves in an unregulated field.
“There’s no place that a law abiding Californian can go (online) and play a level game,” he said. “What Californians really need is a government regulated and fair website where they could go to play Internet poker.”
The question of how altering California’s stance on online poker while the UIGEA is still in place was also addressed, stating that even with UIGEA in effect, California could still operate an interstate online cardroom.
The only argument made against the bill was made by the California Coalition Against Gambling Expansion, who claimed that there shouldn’t be more gambling options made to California residents.
April 18, 2008
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