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The politically powerful Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians and Lytton Band of Pomo Indians are lobbying against the Internet Poker Consumer Protection Act, a move that could ensure AB 2863 will not make it out of the California Assembly, sources said Saturday.

That opposition may already be impacting the process, according to other sources, who indicated that bill sponsor Assemblyman Adam Gray may have shelved his plans for bringing AB 2863 up for a vote in the Assembly on Monday.
Two tribes looking for bad actor tweak

Viejas and Lytton are not allying themselves with the Morongo and San Manuel Mission Indians, who with three Los Angeles-area card rooms have a business partnership with Amaya / PokerStars.

The Morongo/San Manuel partnership is also opposed to AB 2863 because it would prohibit PokerStars from being licensed as a website operator until 2022.

Rather, Viejas and Lytton are disturbed with language in AB 2863 amendments adopted last week that sets 2022 as the date for lifting five-year a banishment of PokerStars as a potential website operator, a so-called “bad actor” clause for companies who accepted or facilitated U.S. wagers after the enactment of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
Concerns that a five-year penalty box could shrink

Viejas and Lytton want the five-year banishment period to begin with “the first bet,” meaning implementation of the online poker industry in California, and not necessarily end in 2022, as stated in Gray’s amendments.

The process of establishing a regulatory system and conducting background investigations and licensing of potential owners and website operators could take years, delaying the launch of an online poker industry and reducing the so-called “penalty box.”

The process could be further delayed by litigation threatened by PokerStars and members of the business partnership.

“They can jam up the regulatory process to make the penalty box as small as possible,” said David Quintana, lobbyist for the Viejas Band of Indians. “They might throw in some legal challenges, anything they can think of to shrink the five years.”

Viejas and Lytton are also seeking a fine. Previous amendments to AB 2863 called for a $20 million “delayed tax” payment in lieu of the five-year penalty box.
Opposition narrows chances for passage

As many as 10 casino tribes, many of whom have voiced strong opposition to licensing PokerStars, have signed onto “bad actor” amendments to AB 2863 adopted last week, prompting optimism the bill would, after a decade of efforts, finally make it out of the state Legislature.

But opposition from Viejas and Lytton – coupled with the political clout of the Morongo/San Manuel coalition – would make it difficult for proponents to get the 54 votes needed to get the bill out of the Assembly, yet alone the Senate. The bill requires 2/3rds vote of legislators.

“I’m inclined to agree,” Quintana said. “I’m working it. We are opposed.”

A tribal source that requested anonymity said getting 54 Assembly votes with opposition from the Morongo/San Manuel coalition would be “a steep climb.”

“Unfortunately, the bill is now doomed to fail and this means millions of Californians will continue to be at risk while playing on offshore, illegal online sites,” the Morongo/San Manuel coalition said in a statement.

Gray had been hoping to get AB 2863 to a floor vote in the Assembly on Monday, giving the measure eight days to get through the Senate.

The amended bill “should secure two-thirds [vote] in the Assembly,” Trent Hager, chief of staff for Gray, told the Los Angeles Times late last week. Hager predicted the bill “will be fairly well received in the Senate.”
Tribal consensus has been elusive

But although stakeholders in an online poker industry would include card rooms and the racing industry, it is the $7 billion tribal government gambling industry that is calling the shots.

Without consensus among the Indian tribes, the bill is likely to go nowhere.

The seven members of a politically powerful coalition led by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians and Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians – which included the Viejas and Lytton bands — were prepared to accept a five-year penalty against PokerStars to endorse AB 2863.

But Viejas and Agua balked at the implementation language in the “bad actor” provision as amended by bill sponsor Assemblyman Adam Gray.

“Pechanga and Agua told us [Gray] was going to accept the first bet” provision, Quintana said. “He was good with it. When he came back with the amendment he had this [2022] date in it.

“That’s when Viejas said, ‘No. We’ve got to stand by our principles.’

“Not all the coalition went along with this,” Quintana said, noting that the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation has taken a neutral position on the bill.




Plans For California Online Poker Vote On Hold As Opposition Grows

Online Poker Pro Sorel Mizzi is no stranger to controversy and recently found himself in trouble with PokerStars yet again. The Canadian poker pro who is reported to have won more than $11 million in his poker career admitted to using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to access the PokerStars-com website and play online poker from the United States.

Online poker players are banned from accessing PokerStars in the United States and the company has geo-location technology in place to ensure that players from the United States cannot access the main site. However by using a VPN, players can mask their internet protocol (IP) address and gain access to the site. Mizzi who resides in Las Vegas admitted to using a VPN last fall to take part in the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP).


This is not the first time that Mizzi has broken the rules to get ahead of the game. He received a lifetime ban from Full Tilt Poker (FTP) in 2007 after he purchased the online account of another player who was playing the final stages of a $1 million guaranteed tournament. Mizzi hid his identity and eventually went on to win the tournament. When FTP found out about the breach, they banned Mizzi for life and split the prize money between the other players.

In 2008, Mizzi was a part of a multi-accounting scandal on PokerStars that resulted in a 3 month ban. John Racener, the Main Event runner-up for the 2010 World Series of Poker accused Mizzi of bottom dealing during a Chinese Poker heads up game. Mizzi who plays under the online handle of “Zangbezan24” has won more than $3.4 million in online poker earnings till date. He also received a lot of flak on the popular Two plus Two poker forums earlier this year during the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure for once again trying to bend the rules.

While the controversial poker player admitted to his wrongdoing, he stated that he did not feel guilty for what he did as he created his own moral universe. Mizzi has also been banned in the past by a number of other online poker sites but these setbacks do not appear to have fazed him. PokerStars has banned him from accessing the site for the next two years but there is no guarantee that Mizzi will not create a new username, use another VPN and play anonymously on the site like he has done in the past.




Controversial Online Poker Pro Sorel Mizzi Gets Banned From PokerStars Yet Again

I have to admit that it would be difficult for pokerstar to identify it's location. Using VPN is a big problem not only pokerstar but almost all of the websites. I give you an example in china their have been a lot of restricted site bt when you use a VPN those restricted sites are now accessible. For those poker pro players nothing can stop them playing tournaments as long as they are not being caught.

State lawmakers across the country are busy putting the finishing touches on bills before the end of the current legislative sessions, so they can head back home and start campaigning for reelection.

Well it's election time so what do expect from them. They want to make noise specially on the gambling community. Some politicians also benefit from those casino by having some election funds to their campaign.

The government needs more cash that's why most of the states are now legalizing poker. It's a big money maker for the government alone. Aside from that it might sounds like a win win for both players and government but the truth is it's more favorable on the side of the government. They wont lose any money on it and without imposing additional taxes on us.

I don't know if I will agree with Sen. Rick Bertrand that this is not an expansion of gambling. In my view it's still an expansion of gambling. How would they predict on the potential tax generated on it if this thing would not be expanded.

"You're just an abusive person, man. It's not not funny."

Here's the video from World Series of Poker:

[video=youtube;rO1EkGTRRVc]www-youtube-com/watch?v=rO1EkGTRRVc[/video]

Here's the short video. There's nothing fancy from editing, just snap shots:

[video=youtube;6IGGocv_fKQ]www-youtube-com/watch?v=6IGGocv_fKQ[/video]

Never play too many hands

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