COPA Signs Deal with Playtech

There are currently two bills that have been proposed to California lawmakers in recent months and currently both seem to be stalled. Senator Lou Correa has a bill that would basically authorize intrastate poker on a set number of platforms while Senator Rod Wright has a broader based platform and includes an emergency clause that gives it a high priority to be heard.

While this legislation seems to be stuck, the California Online Poker Association (COPA) which is a coalition backed by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians have already selected a company to provide their online poker service: Sciplay and signed a software licensing agreement with Playtech.

Robert Martin, Morongo chairman and a member of COPA’s board of managers said that with the recent FBI indictments, the timing of this deal was perfect. With the largest off-shore internet poker sites removed, it provides a great opportunity and urgency for California to regulate online poker.

Martin had already claimed that the coalition had been working on this deal for months and now it is in place, COPA is in a position to launch online poker sites in California as soon as legislation is passed. Until that time however, Sciplay and Playtech said the COPA sites will launch in the months to come offering a free play for fun option.

Currently there are no details on the agreement.

Author: GamesAndCasino