Amidst continued discord regarding online poker legalisation in California, the usually reliable internet publication Online Poker Report (OPR) carried a story Wednesday reporting that the Pechanga Band of Luiseño and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians have been holding talks with 888 Poker.
our readers will recall that the Pechanga and the Agua Caliente are the leaders in a coalition of around ten tribal groups, and that they have been insistent on draconian “bad actor” clauses that if passed would effectively exclude Pokerstars from competing in the California market for at least five and possibly more years.
In a well-informed survey of the market the article explains the often convoluted involvement of a number of online poker providers in the Golden State and the USA as they position themselves for possible legalisation through alliances and partnerships with the plethora of tribal operators licensed by the state.
OPR also notes that the Pechanga are not confining their talks to 888, and have been exploring options with other suppliers too.
The publication concludes that 888’s success in the US market through partnerships with companies in legalised online poker states, and with those in which legalisation is still being pursued, position the European group strongly for potential Californian licensing.
The piece reveals that as far back as late 2014 Pechanga chairman Mark Macarro said that the tribe would be ready to compete in a legalised online poker market, but did not give any information on possible partners. It also notes that there was speculation that Gamesys was a possible Pechanga partner, but confirmation or denial never materialised.
The article, written by respected journo Steve Ruddock, represents an intelligent and realistic overview of a complex situation and is well worth a read here: http://www.onlinepokerreport.com/22043/pechanga-888-online-poker-partnership-talks/