Californian poker bill to be "smooth sail", top lobbyist says 22/06/2009

Stephen Carter

Passage of the bill to legalise intrastate poker in California will be a “smooth sail” once stakeholders feedback on the proposal to be presented to them this week, the Poker Voters of America’s (PVA) top lobbyist has told eGaming Review.

With California’s budget deficit on course to reach US£25bn by the end of the year, commentators have questioned whether California can afford to pass up an industry volunteering to be taxed to the tune of US$250m a year, according to data business H2 Gambling Capital.

PVA lead lobbyist Chris Gallardo argues that online poker represents a more viable option for the California government than other revenue-raising proposals such as selling San Quentin prison to real estate developers.

“We think we can help the governor and legislative leadership in trying to ease some of the pain of making cutbacks to essential programmes,” he said.“When I worked in the California legislature, I saw bills drafted and passed in hours, because those issues were a priority for the state”.

The draft framework to be presented to the legislative leadership, the governor’s office, and the California card rooms and Indian gaming tribes is the culmination of a year’s work with stakeholders by the PVA.

After last year’s version of the bill stalled due to factors mostly beyond the PVA’s control, Gallardo believes the grassroots lobbying organisation now has several other factors in its favour which could help it get the bill through this time around.

These include Gallardo’s links with the California tribes as the former lead lobbyist for the California Nations Indian Gaming Association. Gallardo, who is of Navajo extraction, said his background has been useful in helping underline the benefits of expanding their gaming businesses online to the tribes.

“I got to know a great deal of the tribes. I think they’re comfortable with who I am and what I’ve set out to do. I know online gaming can be a wonderful way to diversify their portfolio of gaming practices, which they should take a look at, grab a hold of and be part of,” he said.

As reported on EGRmagazine.com, California rejected an emergency budget fix in May designed to fix its huge defecit.

For more on this topic, see our feature on Californian online poker.

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Posted: 22/06/2009