A piece of legislation in California that seeks to make internet poker legal requires some adjustments before it can proceed.
The measure, which passed the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee easily with an 18-0 vote in April, is undergoing some modifications. Assemblyman Adam Gray put forward AB 2863 in February as the most recent effort to bring lawful online poker to California.
David Fried, a specialist in California gambling law, presented changes to clarify several aspects of the initial bill. These points encompass the tax percentage, licensing costs, and the contentious “bad actor” provision.
This “bad actor” provision would prohibit companies that continued taking bets from US players after December 2011 from securing a California permit. The alteration aims to provide a route for companies like PokerStars, which departed the US market in April 2011, to potentially function in California.
It specifies that companies could still be qualified if they prove that key staff are “no longer affiliated with the applicant” or that the pertinent wagers “transpired within a reasonable timeframe of winding down U.S. operations,” despite surpassing the cutoff.
Fried’s other modifications include raising licensing costs from $10 million to $12.5 million and linking the tax percentage companies would pay to their overall gaming income.
Proposed legislation in the Golden State, designated AB 2863, is generating significant discussion. Should it become law, the measure would permit legal internet poker within California while excluding other forms of casino gaming. A completed version of the legislative proposal is anticipated to be presented to California legislators sometime in the current month.
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