California Online Poker

As with most places in the States, online poker in California remains neither legal nor illegal, as politicians in the Golden State look for that Eureka moment as they attempt to push through an online poker bill.

California is the most populous among all 50 of the States in America, with a population of more that 38 million, so it goes without saying that any legal poker California introduces would have all the benefits an online poker player can receive from great competition between sites and online poker sites with high traffic.

History of Legal Online Poker in California

The Golden State has a bricks and mortar casino presence, with games running around the clock, so it is clear that there is clamour for poker. It seems there would be that same clamour for online poker, with Californian winners of the World Series of Poker adding to the buzz to the point that the best poker sites in California would surely be a match for the online poker scene anywhere else.

Talk of making poker legal in California dates back as far as 2008 – relatively early as far as the United States is concerned – with Assemblyman Lloyd Levine introducing a bill. However that piece of legislation failed to pass into law, and we have seen a repeat from numerous other bills, with Senator Roderick Wright among the more vocal proponents of legal online poker in California. As long as politicians continue the push, legal online poker in the Golden State looks like a question of when, not if.

FAQ:

Is online poker legal in California?

While it’s not legal to operate an online casino from California, playing online poker is a whole other story. Many California residents have played and continue to play at legit Internet poker sites in America’s biggest state.

Will California regulate online gambling in the future?

It certainly looks that way. There is plenty of support for a legal online poker California framework, as emphasised by the fact that numerous bills have been introduced by a variety of politicians, and the Garden State is simply yet to unveil a piece of legislation that suits everyone.

Will California residents be able to play legal online poker against residents of other states?

When it comes to legal poker California is at an advantage compared to the rest of the United States, in that it has a big enough population to keep legal online poker in-state. In fact, the population is comparable to that of certain European countries that have looked to introduce ring-fenced legal online poker. Still, there is every chance that lawmakers in the Golden State look to bring multiple American jurisdictions together to create a large online poker environment for players across the States.

Can Indian tribes offer online poker?

California has a great number of different Native American tribes, many of which offer land-based gambling at one of the state’s Indian casinos. However as things stand there is no regulation permitting Indian tribes to offer online poker, although many have partnered with online gambling companies in preparation for legal online poker in California. Ultimately some of the best poker sites in California could well have Native American involvement in some form or another.

California needs revenue – shouldn’t it be eager to bring in tax money from online poker?

Online poker has certainly been cited as a potential revenue driver for California, and it is a theme that has dominated many a political conversation over the last few years. However it has almost been a case of ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’ so far: many different individuals have introduced online poker bills, some with an online casino element and some without, but as things stand we are still waiting for that Eureka moment when it comes to online poker in the Golden State. Here’s hoping we don’t have to wait too much longer.