Senate Hearing: California Tribes Strongly Oppose Internet Poker
Written by Matt W | Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
Ahead of the Senate Governmental Organization committee meeting that is to be held today to discuss the legalization and regulation of internet poker in California, nine tribes have sent a letter expressing their disapproval of the move.
“We are writing to clearly state our strong opposition,” wrote the tribes to members of the committee as they gather to discuss intrastate online poker.
The tribes do not agree with the facts to be brought before the committee that legalizing internet poker will be of great financial benefit to California. Instead, the tribes are of the opinion that the proposal has several fundamental flaws, and that it will risk the exclusivity provisions for tribes that were negotiated with the state regarding gambling rights in previous years.
In addition, the tribes dispute the figures to be brought before the committee that that intrastate poker could generate $50 million to the state. The tribes, under the umbrella union of the California Tribal Business Alliance, released its own report disputing revenue predictions. The counter report shows that the new poker initiative is likely to cause the loss of $365 million a year should the tribes invoke their exclusivity clauses.
“And that’s in a down economy,” noted the executive director of the alliance, Alison Harvey.
The Moronga Tribe, on the other hand, supports the introduction of intrastate poker in California and slammed the efforts of the nine other tribes to sabotage the state’s chances of benefitting from legalized online poker choices.
Calling the counter report “politically motivated”, the Morongos’ said it was “cobbled together at the last minute with the intention of negatively influencing the Senate hearing … on internet poker.”
It is hoped that Californians who currently play poker online will redirect their play to a new, state run site that will offer them an alternative form of poker entertainment.
However, Harvey is skeptical that such a site would prove to be attractive to Californians who are used to the last word in technology and superb features offered by offshore poker sites.
“We can’t see them getting over 30% of the market,” she said.
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· Written by Matt W · Filed Under Poker Gossip · Comments Off
