Earlier this month, California Assemblyman Mike Gatto introduced AB 9, otherwise known as the Internet Poker Consumer Protection Act of 2015. The bill is similar to legislation filed last year, but contains a critical amendment that was seemingly written to block Amayafrom launching PokerStars in the state.

In an interview with OnlinePokerReport, Gatto (pictured) revealed plans to sit down with the online gambling giant and its allies to hear their opinions on his proposed legislation.

“Today we have scheduled meetings with the Amaya coalition,” he said. “I expect before the end of December to discuss their vision for a bill. We definitely will be meeting with anybody who wants a meeting on this.”

Like some online poker bills before it, Gatto’s legislation contains bad actor language that would prohibit companies from being licensed that continued to operate after the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed.

AB 9, however, takes things one step further by excluding companies that bought the assets of questionable operators. The stipulation is a clear shot at Amaya Gaming, which purchased PokerStars for $4.9 billion in June and is lobbying hard to launch the site in the US.

PokerStars was quick to respond to the bill, calling it a “rehash of previously unsuccessful proposals.” It added that “any bill that seeks to establish artificial competitive advantages for some, while denying Californians the best online poker experiences, will only serve to divide the community and will be opposed by our coalition.”

Gatto defended his decision to include the clause and referenced a conversation he had with an attorney experienced in gambling law. “He thought this was not that aggressive, that it was a step toward liberalizing the language compared to bill proposals in the past,” Gatto said.

But even with the tough bad actor clause, AB 9 could still offer PokerStars a way into California. The bill later states, somewhat confusingly, that the bad actor language affecting companies like Amaya could be waived if the purchased assets do “not adversely affect the integrity of, or undermine public confidence in, intrastate internet poker or otherwise pose a threat to the public interest.”

Gatto made it clear that AB 9 is still a work in progress and should be treated as a first draft. “I am under no delusions… that my bill is a final product,” he said. “This is an opening statement, it’s a discussion point, it’s putting some language across the desk, but procedurally this will go through a very, very thorough public hearing process.”

Apart from bad actor language, the bill contains other elements that have been criticized by organizations like the Poker Players Alliance. PPA Vice President Rich TheEngineerMuny (pictured) found it odd that the bill would force players to make their first deposit at a land-based casino. Putting that burden on poker players, he said, “defeats the purpose” of offering online poker in the first place.

With over six years of failed attempts to legalize iPoker in the Golden State, Gatto understands the challenge he faces in rallying the state’s gambling interests around his bill. “It’s going to be a long year, but this is something that I think would be a lost opportunity if we didn’t come to the table and try to work it out,” he said. “So that’s what we’re going to try to do and there is a 50-50 shot we fail spectacularly once again.”

Gatto’s bill could be one of several introduced the session, as earlier in the year, Assemblyman Reginald Jones-Sawyer also promised to work with the state’s industry players to craft a passable bill.

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