California Online Poker Already Dead in 2018

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In a move that’s really shocking nobody, California is effectively punting on online poker regulation in 2018. According to a report from Online Poker Report, the current champion for online poker is not bothering to file a bill this year, which effectively means online poker legislation is dead for this year.

Meanwhile, lawmakers are hopeful that New Jersey is successful in its challenge of PASPA and that legalized sports betting will fuel the fires of online poker in the state.

Online Poker in California – Maybe Next Year (Again)

Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer recently spoke with Online Poker Report and told them that he will not be filling a bill regulating online poker this year. According to him, there’s been little progress made with California Tribes and this resulted in his decision to not pursue a new bill.

Jones-Sawyer filed a bill last year, but it was merely a ceremonial gesture. He stated that he had no intentions of pushing the matter and intended to use 2017 as a time to heal the wounds inflicted by Assemblyman Adam Gray’s attempt to regulate the game in 2016.

Gray looked to be making significant progress in 2016, but his failure to give Tribes what they wanted resulting in the bill’s collapse. Also, PokerStars and their coalition ended up banding against Gray as he changed language at the last minute to make it more difficult for the World’s Largest Poker Site to do business in the state.

Will Sports Betting Change Attitudes

According to the report, Jones-Sawyer is hopeful that a successful challenge by New Jersey of PAPSA will reignite the online poker discussion. New Jersey is suing to try and overturn a federal ban on sports betting.

If this is successful, this will open the floodgates for sports betting across the country and many expect other forms of gambling to benefit. Tribes could be less opposed to online poker as they will surely enjoy tremendous financial benefits from legalized sports betting. A bill that groups sports betting and online poker would be an ideal fit for the state.

Other Threats Could Derail Online Poker Regulation

Another issue that’s been reported on by OPR and others is that California Tribes are considering legal action against state-run card rooms because they are offering banked games such as Blackjack, Three Card Poker, and Baccarat.

However, the state runs a variation of these games where players act as the house and the card room takes a small portion of each bet or charges a fee on each hand played.

Tribes are claiming that these games violate California law where card rooms are not supposed to have a stake in any games.

This issue is one that could potentially derail online poker legislation in the future, but Jones-Sawyer is hopeful that some of these issues will be addressed and resolved sometime this year to prevent any issues in the future.

Will Next Year Really Be Any Different?

The story has pretty much been the same one for the last few years. Tribes and lawmakers continue to squabble over various issues but neither side is willing to budge enough to allow real progress.

Now it has gotten to the point where lawmakers are not even bothering to try. The real question is whether another year will make any sort of difference. Even if sports betting is legalized, will either side compromise enough to allow any form of online gambling expansion.

Until there is a significant shift in attitudes on both sides, odds are this issue will remain unresolved. Frankly, I’ve believed that California would not regulate online poker before 2020, and I stated that back in 2012.

Now I’m beginning to wonder if my prediction was conservative.