California Delays Gambling Bill

State Senator Roderick Wright, Chairman of the Governmental Organization Committee, delayed a vote by his committee on his bill that will create a license and regulatory system for online gambling within the state of California. Instead of a vote on the bill, he decided to tell the committee about the progress of the bill and why California needs a bill to license and regulate online gambling. He stated that the bill needs more work.

The work is required because people who were thought to be supporters of the bill, among which are the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and some of the California card rooms, which had been pushing for a bill to regulate online gambling, have come out against it in its current form. They want the new online licenses to go to businesses that already offer poker in California, while the current bill offers an open competition for the three internet gambling licenses.

State Sen. Leland Yee stated: “It’s clear to me that I don’t think we’re in the place where we know all the possible insights and permutations….A model that I would be supportive of would entail players and entities that we have dealt with in the past. Given the fact that we’re moving in this new arena, it requires some background and understanding who they are and what they’re about and their honesty. We can’t afford missteps.”

Sen. Wright stated: “If it fits for a group, it may or may not fit for another….The world isn’t standing still while we figure out what to do….The longer we wait, the more difficult it will be to get that business back.”.