Online Casino Transfer: News - Another Governmental Meeting

02/20/2010		Online Casino Style: News Another Governmental Meeting - 1
Home History Games News Dictionary		Yet another update has become available to the online casino community in regards to the potential legalization of online poker in the state of California and the ever developing arguments erupting from the native tribal communities that run most of the casinos in the region. Another inquiry session for the Senate Government Organization Committee run by Californian Senator Roderick Wright found its conclusion this past Tuesday, with additional testimony adding logs to the fire. Senator Wright made a point to acknowledge the reality of the pervasion of the internet gambling industry in the US despite the continued enforcement of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, with his observation that as the meeting was going on, as many as 30,000 to 40,000 Californians could be found frequenting offshore online casinos to play poker – sending American money where taxation isn’t applicable. It’s not a decision between allowing people to play or not, he said, but rather offering up a choice for domestic business. Statistics provided by the consulting firm Global Betting and Gaming showed that interest in internet gambling is actually once again on the rise, as 7.8 million Californians held active accounts in 2006, dropping to 5.7 million in 2007, but increasing to 8.4 million in 2009. By 2012, they estimate that active accounts from the area could be as high as 10 million or more! Jacob Appelsmith represented the Bureau of Gambling Control, for which he acts as director. He acknowledged the grey area for gamblers, admitting that bettors may or may not be breaking the law by frequenting the internet casinos, but regardless - they do. California has two choices, then, he said: either clarify the illegality and attempt to seize player accounts, or establish an intrastate system as an alternative, designed to protect players and regulate online casinos applying for licenses, calling the status quo “unacceptable.” to be continued in Another Governmental Meeting - 2

02/20/2010

Online Casino Style: News
Another Governmental Meeting - 1

Yet another update has become available to the online casino community in regards to the potential legalization of online poker in the state of California and the ever developing arguments erupting from the native tribal communities that run most of the casinos in the region. Another inquiry session for the Senate Government Organization Committee run by Californian Senator Roderick Wright found its conclusion this past Tuesday, with additional testimony adding logs to the fire.

Senator Wright made a point to acknowledge the reality of the pervasion of the internet gambling industry in the US despite the continued enforcement of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, with his observation that as the meeting was going on, as many as 30,000 to 40,000 Californians could be found frequenting offshore online casinos to play poker – sending American money where taxation isn’t applicable. It’s not a decision between allowing people to play or not, he said, but rather offering up a choice for domestic business.

Statistics provided by the consulting firm Global Betting and Gaming showed that interest in internet gambling is actually once again on the rise, as 7.8 million Californians held active accounts in 2006, dropping to 5.7 million in 2007, but increasing to 8.4 million in 2009. By 2012, they estimate that active accounts from the area could be as high as 10 million or more!

Jacob Appelsmith represented the Bureau of Gambling Control, for which he acts as director. He acknowledged the grey area for gamblers, admitting that bettors may or may not be breaking the law by frequenting the internet casinos, but regardless - they do. California has two choices, then, he said: either clarify the illegality and attempt to seize player accounts, or establish an intrastate system as an alternative, designed to protect players and regulate online casinos applying for licenses, calling the status quo “unacceptable.”

to be continued in Another Governmental Meeting - 2