Phil Hellmuth Excited About California Online PokerRecent L.A. Times Survey Shows About Half Support Legalization |
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Nevada may be out in front in the online poker race, but California stands as the Holy Grail for the industry.
Phil Hellmuth, arguably poker’s biggest brand name, looks to be involved with future U.S. online poker. When asked if he’s looking forward to Nevada possibly going online by the end of the year, the 11-time bracelet winner said he’s excited for Internet poker in California.
“It’s going to be huge,” Hellmuth said Monday during an event at the 2012 World Series of Poker. “They say California alone will generate as much [online poker] revenue as the country of Italy.”
However, Internet card playing in the Golden State faces an uphill battle.
A new poll conducted by the Los Angeles Times had only half say they support online poker legalization in California.
Some lawmakers are currently trying to push a bill that would authorize the activity for those within the state’s borders. So far, they’ve met some fierce resistance from some tribal groups, while others have been lobbying hard in Sacramento.
The L.A. Times survey also had about half of respondents say online gambling would be detrimental for “young people.”
The Internet Gambling Consumer Protection and Public-Private Partnership Act of 2012 has not seen any formal action since late March. The state has failed in previous years with earlier versions of a proposal.
The Golden State is trying to play catch-up with the Silver State in offering online poker. Nevada has already legalized and is gearing up to license its first operators this summer.
Earlier this month, a California Gaming Commissioner said that Nevada’s model is “heavily dependent on prayer,” since the potential player pool there is small. Nevada has about 2.7 million residents and 4 million visitors per month. California has a population of 37.7 million.
“If you understand liquidity, that is huge,” Commissioner Richard Schuetz said. “We are the sleeping giant. Whether or not we can work that into a viable law remains to be seen.”
Supporters of the plan argue that online poker would help alleviate California’s budget deficit, which currently stands at about $16 billion.
According to the legislation, online poker would “provide hundreds of millions of dollars annually for the public services that have been cut repeatedly during the state’s budget crisis.” Lawmakers would aim to raise $200 million from online gaming fees.
However, Gov. Jerry Brown has been skeptical on the issue and its potential help to the deficit, the L.A. Times reported earlier this year.
Follow Brian Pempus on Twitter — @brianpempus
Comments
bmpek
12 months ago
will he be the three monkeys once again?????