Update: Correa Promotes His Bill

Californian Senator issues article about SB40 It seems like the author of one of two Californian intrastate bills seeking to legalise online poker, Sen. Lou Correa decided to take the bill promotion into his own hands, so this week he released an op ed article in the Capitol Weekly newspaper, in which he put a particular stress on the beneficial effect which his bill SB40 would have on California's $25 billion budget deficit. Based on the bill, titled “California First: The State Funding, Job Creation and Online Gaming Accountability Act,” the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Gambling Control would be in charge of regulation and monitoring of online poker operations. In this respect, Correa stated: “This will ensure players are protected from fraud or theft, which occur frequently at illegal, offshore poker sites. The bill also includes safeguards to prevent minors from being able to gamble online, protecting California's children. “Operators would be required to pay an operator fee, player winnings would be reported as taxable income and all bank accounts, servers and operating personnel would be located in California.” Correa also adds that since over two million of California residents engage in online poker, the amount they wager per year playing unregulated poker is some 13 billion. “However, none of this money stays in California. The money leaves our state to support illegal, offshore interests,” he continues. “Senate Bill 40 is carefully written to regulate and limit gaming, while keeping the revenue and jobs here in California, helping state and local governments.” In addition, the senator pointed out the results of a recent economic report conducted by former Finance Dept. Director Timothy L. Gage, according to which “the authorization and regulation of online poker in California will generate over a billion dollars in new revenue to the state within the first 10 years and create more than 1,100 new jobs.” The legalization also has a huge support among Californians – some 66 percent of the state's voters support the state legalizing, regulating, and taxing the profits of online poker, along with introduction of strong safeguards and consumer protection, stresses Correa. He claimed: “California's voters also want to see our own trusted gaming partners – tribes and card rooms as operators of online poker rather than out-of-state or off-shore companies.” On the other side stand the opinions presented at the California Nations Indian Gaming Association conference, where the vice chairman of the Governmental Organization committee, Sen. Joel Anderson told delegates that the state is at a terrible crossroads. “It's never been deeper in debt,'' he said, adding that the leaders of tribal nations, lawyers and casino industry officials should be careful with their next steps — especially on initiatives involving Internet poker. So far, the Association, which has severely opposed a legalization attempt by Sen. Roderick Wright, has not yet taken a position on Senator Correa's poker-focused proposal, which has the support of Californian card rooms and some tribal groups led by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians. However, CNIGA members have been called to plan for the future by the Association chairman Daniel Tucker. His Association colleague, director of CNIGA government affairs Jerome Encinas also said: “We hope to get everyone's perspective and their questions answered,'' adding that it was to be expected that internet gambling legislation would surface again. It was stated by Allen Lawson, chairman of the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians: “If we don't get on top of it, and understand it, we're going to lose.” In the meantime, Nebraska's Winnebago Nation representative Terry St. Cyr stressed that US tribal nations are watching California tribes and their moves closely. “We think Internet gambling is the future,” he explained.