Sports and Online Poker Bills Up for Discussion in California

This month is a critical one for California as the legislature's Government Oversight Committee will discuss three bills pertaining to daily fantasy sports, online poker and sports betting is a hearing scheduled for January 6, 2016. Assembly committee chairman Adam Gray's bill, Internet Fantasy Sports Game Protection Act (AB1437), was presented back in September 2015 and aims to implement regulation, taxation and licensing of the industry. Thus far there has been little overt opposition to the bill from the usual sources - the tribes, the cardrooms and the racetracks - and reactions will be watched closely as the political activity on the issue develops. The next topic of discussion will be Gray's second bill, AB1441, also introduced in September 2015. This bill focuses on intrastate licensing and regulation of sports betting. The federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) currently limits betting activity to four states. It faces serious opposition as the national sports leagues with the Department of Justice support PASPA and do not support legalization in additional states. Finally, a bill seeking licensing and regulation of intrastate online poker may be the most contentious of them all. This has remained a hot button in the state for years with online companies, cardrooms, racetracks and tribal groups vying for legalization.