Two influential American Indian tribes are publicly asking a politically powerful tribal coalition to ease its opposition to extending eligibility for online poker website licenses to California race tracks, but skepticism remains that a bill will make it out of the legislature this year. Council member Laurie E. Gonzalez of the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians in a May 20 press release urged that tribes reach consensus on online poker legislation “rather than digging their heels into the ground,” an obvious reference to steadfast opposition against licensing race tracks by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians and six other coalition…

PokerStars is bringing the big guns to California. Two of the site’s most recognizable faces (at least for the American audience) will be in California’s capitol city this week, as Jason Somerville and Daniel Negreanu will host a live demo at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento on May 21 from 10am – 12pm. The demonstration, which will include the chance to play against the pros (play-money, of course), will come just one day after a joint Senate / Assembly informational hearing for online poker. The demonstration will occur in parallel with the Capitol Weekly California Gaming Conference, which OPR will…

iGaming Business – Online poker supporters in California are celebrating a step forward for legalisation in the US state. The Assembly Governmental Organisation Committee (GO) voted unanimously in favor of advancing AB 431, sponsored by Assemblymember Adam Gray. While this move does not make it law, it pushes it along to the next legislative step and is significant because it is a first legislative victory for poker in California and it was unclear that it would have enough support to progress. The vote was welcomed by the ‘Amaya Coalition’, which is a group of interested parties including PokerStars owner Amaya…

iGaming Business – The so-called ‘bad actor’ clause could be altered when a fresh internet poker bill is presented in the US state of California in the next legislative session. Internet poker bills from California Assemblyman Reginald Jones-Sawyer and Senator Joe Correa were introduced by their authors in February this year, but ultimately scrapped earlier this month. However, Jones-Sawyer has suggested that the controversial bad actor clause – which excluded any operator or market affiliate involved in online gaming in the US after December 31, 2006 from applying for a licence – might be reworded for the 2015-16 legislative session….

Card Player – After an historic consensus between 13 California tribal groups on online poker in the Golden State, PokerStars and its partner, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, as well as the Commerce Club, Hawaiian Gardens Casino and the Bicycle Casino, have responded. The latter group is opposed to what has been proposed by the 13 tribal groups. Currently two Internet poker bills sit in the legislature. “We strongly oppose the so-called ‘bad actor’ language that is nothing other than a blatant attempt to provide certain interests with an unfair competitive advantage by arbitrarily locking out trusted iPoker brands,”…

Sacramento Bee –  California tribal casinos were deeply divided about how, or if, the state should legalize online poker. Now tribes are talking, but a deal remains elusive because of key disagreements. Robert Martin, chairman of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, said he would have no problem with allowing racetracks and advanced-deposit wagering facilities to offer online poker. “I can’t answer for every tribe, but I can tell you that Agua Caliente would oppose that bill,” said Jeff Grubbe, chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. He noted that voters in 2004 rejected a measure to expand…