An effort between some California card rooms and the Morongo band of Mission Indians in Southern California to regulate online poker in the Sunshine State has been put on the backburner. An article by Debra Gruszecki of the Palm Springs Desert Sun reported on the issue earlier this week and cited growing concerns from the tribe and card rooms that the important issue was being rushed through the legislative process was the driving factor behind the decision.
While they are no longer pushing the online poker issue, they are not abandoning it altogether. Patrick Dorinson, a spokesperson for Morongo, spoke to Gruszecki about the decision. “Some concerns have been raised, and we want to make sure we address those concerns so this can benefit everyone,” he explained. “We are going to redouble our efforts and present this in January to the (state) Legislature.”
The crux of the proposed legislation centered on the formation of the California Tribal Intrastate Internet Poker Consortium. That group would retain the ability to license and regulate online poker ventures within the state of California. State Senator Darrell Steinberg spoke out against the bill last month not because he opposes online gambling in the state, but because he believes the state needs more time to review the potential revenue that could stem from such a venture.
The Morongo band and their card room partners have taken Steinberg’s words to heart and now plan on taking time to research and prepare before re-introducing the idea to the state legislators according to Dorinson and card room representative Waltona Manion. Both told the Desert Sun that their current timetable involves returning to the issue in January of 2010.
During the next three months, major issues that will likely be researched and discussed at length is exactly how much money the state stands to profit and whether or not the proposed consortium is in violation of any existing state or federal laws such as 2006’s Unlawful Internet Gambling and Enforcement Act (UIGEA). The Morongo tribe will also have to address the concerns of the numerous tribes, such as the Pechanga Band in Temecula, who are currently opposed to such legislation.
According to Gruszecki, many tribes fear opening up the intrastate online gambling issue in California may compromise the current exclusivity enjoyed by tribes to offer gambling within the state. David Quintana, political director of the California Tribal Business Alliance, expressed relief at the postponement of the legislation. In an interview with the Desert Sun, Quintana said he hoped this would allow time for all of the tribes and card rooms in California to have a more in-depth discussion about the issues at hand.
Though most of the reports about the Morongo band’s decision to relent on the online poker push have construed it to be a setback for the online gambling world, Poker Voters of America (PVA) Executive Director Melanie Brenner still believes the situation in California is a step forward for poker advocates. In an interview with Poker News Daily last month, Brenner explained why the Morongo partnering with some California card rooms was so important:
“What I think you’re seeing is a part of the political process. There are so many different parts to the process. One of the biggest challenges in California has been the opposition of the tribes not wanting online poker,” she explained. “One of the tribes now wants to run an online poker site. That’s a huge breakthrough.”
It remains to be seen whether the delay in action will allow the Morongo tribe time to persuade other Native American groups in California to endorse the online poker legislation, but the decision to drop the issue for the moment will certainly allow them more time to formulate a thorough argument to do just that.
