\nHoward Stutz, Las Vegas Review-Journal<\/p>\n
\tIf California\u2019s Internet poker debate was an actual card game, PokerStars just doubled up.<\/p>\n
\tBut the European online gaming giant is still short-stacked against two of the state\u2019s largest tribal casino operators in its effort to gain a piece of California\u2019s potentially lucrative \u2014 albeit nascent \u2014 Internet poker market.<\/p>\n
\tThree tribes embraced legislation this month that would allow PokerStars into California.<\/p>\n
\tLast week, Caesars Entertainment Corp., the gaming industry\u2019s largest proponent for legalized online gaming, said it no longer objects to PokerStars entering the U.S. market. Caesars operates Harrah\u2019s Southern California in San Diego County for the Rincon Band of Luise\u00f1o Indians.<\/p>\n
\tPro-Internet gaming activists hailed the Caesars decision as game-changing. Online Poker Report\u2019s Chris Grove termed it \u201ca seismic shift.\u201d Caesars and PokerStars are now on the same team.<\/p>\n
\tDon\u2019t start booking your seats at the virtual gaming tables just yet, though. Two Southern California tribes, the Pechanga Band of Luise\u00f1o Indians and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, still hold all the aces.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cIt\u2019s complicated,\u201d one gaming source said of California\u2019s Internet gaming legalization, which includes two competing online poker bills.<\/p>\n
\tOne bill only allows tribal casinos and casino-like card rooms to operate Internet poker sites. The bill also has a \u201cbad actors clause\u201d that would keep out PokerStars and other companies that accepted wagers from Americans after the 2006 passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.<\/p>\n
\tThe other bill doesn\u2019t include the PokerStars ban and extends eligibility to the state\u2019s race track industry.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cI\u2019m less optimistic that it will get done this year,\u201d Assemblyman Mike Gatto, D-Glendale told Pechanga.net\u2019s Dave Palermo.<\/p>\n
\tThe assemblyman introduced the PokerStars-averse bill in December, when he predicted a 50-50 chance of passage.<\/p>\n
\tRincon, San Diego\u2019s Pala Band of Luise\u00f1o Indians and Northern California\u2019s United Auburn Indian Community have thrown their support behind the second bill. With Caesars and three tribes in the fold, PokerStars gained support.<\/p>\n
\tHowever, California political insiders said online poker is dead unless Pechanga and Aqua Caliente are on board.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cWithout Pechanga, there will be no bill,\u201d a state official told Palermo.<\/p>\n
\tIn an email to the Review-Journal, Caesars Senior Vice President Jan Jones Blackhurst said the $4.9 billion acquisition of PokerStars by Canada-based Amaya Gaming Group last year ended the company\u2019s concerns over reputation.<\/p>\n
\tThe previous ownership of PokerStars forfeited $731 million in a settlement to end a legal battle with federal prosecutors over accepting American wagers after 2006.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cWe no longer are seeking a bad actor clause in any state,\u201d Jones Blackhurst said. \u201cWith the purchase by Amaya, we believe PokerStars is cleansed of the taint and regulatory approval should be left to the regulators.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tIn California, PokerStars has an agreement to operate online gaming with the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, as well as three Los Angeles-area card rooms.<\/p>\n
\tPokerStars spokesman Eric Hollreiser said in an email the company welcomes Caesars\u2019 change of heart.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cIn California, we\u2019re part of a growing coalition working together to promote the industry, protect individual freedom and counter the misleading, negative campaign of self-interested, anti-competitive groups,\u201d Hollreiser said.<\/p>\n
\tGamblingCompliance.com North American Research Director Chris Krafcik, who first reported the policy change, said Caesars\u2019 shift could fuel Internet gaming debate in new markets such as New York and Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n
\tHollreiser said PokerStars will \u201cwork closely with Caesars\u201d to seek online gaming regulation at the state and federal levels.<\/p>\n
\tThe biggest question mark is New Jersey, where PokerStars has a partnership with Resorts Atlantic City to operate the casino\u2019s online gaming. PokerStars will also build a $10 million poker room at the Boardwalk property. The company has been unable to obtain a gaming license in New Jersey, despite clearing several hurdles.<\/p>\n
\tLast week, BusinessInsider.com reported Gov. Chris Christie is holding up the licensing as a favor to Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman Sheldon Adelson, the industry\u2019s most fervent opponent of legalizing online gaming.<\/p>\n
\tThe New York Times reported this month that Adelson loaned Christie one of his private jets. The governor is expected to seek the Republican nomination for president in 2016 and has been courting support from the billionaire, who contributes heavily to GOP candidates and causes.<\/p>\n
\tHollreiser declined comment on a Christie-Adelson connection.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cWe\u2019re continuing to work with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement toward gaining approval to offer online gaming under the PokerStars and Full Tilt brands,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
No replies were posted for this topic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Howard Stutz, Las Vegas Review-Journal If California\u2019s Internet poker debate was an actual card game, PokerStars just doubled up. But the European online gaming giant is still short-stacked against two of the state\u2019s largest tribal casino operators in its effort…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-latest-casino-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8667","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8667"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8667\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}