California lawmakers and a limited number of Golden State gambling stakeholders met Wednesday in the California Senate and Assembly Governmental Organization Committees for a Joint Informational Hearing on the gaming industry. Internet gambling, however, was not the main topic on the agenda and was hardly discussed. Visit PocketFives’ California poker community for the latest news and discussion from California players.

After years of watching online gambling bills come and go without so much as a vote, the state’s gambling interests might well be on the verge of another impasse over the terms of such legislation. The two main sticking points include whether to block so-called “bad actors” and whether to allow horseracing tracks to operate their own card rooms.

While a powerful band of Indian tribes has signaled that a compromise might be reached on the issue of “bad actors,” it remains staunchly opposed to allowing the tracks to participate in the industry. At the hearing, Executive Director of the California Horseracing Board Rick Baedekermade his argument as to why tracks should be included.

He highlighted that while the horseracing industry had a virtual monopoly on gambling for over 40 years, more modern forms of gaming have precipitated a 45% drop in revenue and caused several tracks to close their doors. He continued by noting that, unlike the state’s tribal casinos, horseracing operators already have years of experience in safely and successfully taking bets online.

For its part, the opposition has suggested that the industry receive a subsidy from licensed online poker sites, but track operators view this as unacceptable.

“Given its long history in the state, deep roots in the California greenbelt, and 13 years of legal online wagering, racing should receive every consideration to participate in internet poker if it becomes a reality here in California,” Baedeker said.

Apart from the subject of the tracks, there was little mention of internet poker. In fact, Senate GO Chairman Isadore Hall, who recently introduced an iPoker “shell bill,” didn’t even show up to the hearing. Assemblyman Reginald Jones-Sawyer, who has introduced his own bill, however, was in attendance and occasionally peppered the proceedings with mentions of online gambling.

Paula LaBrie, a representative from the California State Lottery, indicated that her organization was conducting research on how internet poker would affect state revenue. She believes that the iPoker industry could attract a younger demographic than the average lottery player. “It’s challenging because most of our people who play the lottery tend to be older,” she said. “One of the challenges is to be able to adapt the lottery to what the world is right now.”

The online gambling discussion continues Thursday, with lawmakers, industry executives, and members of the press assembling for the Capital Weekly California Gaming Conference. Canadian poker pro Daniel Negreanu and Twitch superstar Jason Somerville (pictured) will be on hand to provide an online poker demonstration for attendees.

The demo was set up by PokerStars, which has fought tooth and nail to participate in legal US online gambling industry. “The goal is to educate politicians and lawmakers on a topic that they clearly don’t have a full, balanced grasp of,” Negreanu told PokerNews.

“I’m excited to educate key influencers about the benefits of a safe and regulated online poker arena,” added Somerville. “I’m hoping to illustrate the logic and value behind passing robust online poker legislation in California.”

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