The Press Democrat – Rival attempts to legalize Internet poker in California are underway in the Capitol, setting the stage for a lobbying and political showdown over a market worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Two measures unveiled on Feb. 21, the deadline to introduce new bills for the year, would authorize online poker websites, letting gamblers participate from anywhere they can access the Internet. Similar efforts failed last year after heated negotiations between tribal interests and lawmakers ended without an agreement on the final form of the complex legislation. This year, again, there are divisions. “There are a…

Representative Joe Barton wants to help poker players stay on the couch. The Texas Republican introduced a bill in Congress on Thursday that would pave the way for states to legalize online poker without fear of federal intervention. It’s the second such Internet gambling bill introduced this year. In June, Republican New York Congressman Peter King introduced a piece of legislation he called the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act of 2013. Unlike Barton’s bill, that gambling act would open the door to all forms of casino games, not just poker. The federal government cracked down on Internet…