Further call for US study on online poker

02/22/2008

The influential US state of California could be the scene of an in-depth study into online poker if state legislator Assemblyman Lloyd Levine has his way. The politician has launched bill AB 2026 which calls for a study to be conducted by the California Gambling Control Commission (CGCC) into the legality of the pastime if it were to be controlled and operated by Californian entities.

The study would seek answers to the position of the federal government regarding a Californian state decision to legalise the pastime, together with an examination of "regulatory oversight and licensing, technological issues, underage and problem gambling matters, methods of play and types of games that may be legally offered, economic benefits to state and local governments, and the means by which those games and forms of gambling may be conducted and operated."

Levine's bill, which could be heard as early as next (March) month, proposes a deadline for the CGCC to complete the study by June 30, 2009, collaborating with the US Department of Justice to assess whether the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act applies to transactions within a state. State autonomy is a sensitive issue when it comes to gambling legislation matters.

In an interview with the Californian political newspaper Capitol Weekly, Assemblyman Levine surmised that as long as the player and the server are located in the same state, federal law probably does not apply, but a definitive answer to the issue was needed.