A coalition of 21 California tribes, card rooms, racetracks and unions sent a letter on Friday supporting AB 2863, the online poker bill authored by Assemblymember Adam Gray.
The letter comes on the heels of several new amendments to AB 2863. It is scheduled for a June 15 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
The letter, sent to Lorena Gonzalez, the chair of the Appropriations Committee, was short and to the point:
The undersigned are in support of moving AB 2863 and look forward to continuing the dialogue.
We have been working with the Legislature for many years to create a regulatory structure for iPoker, an online version of a game that is already authorized in the California Penal Code.
We look forward to your support of moving AB 2863.
The breadth of the new coalition is something we have yet to see in California, and could be capable of moving the needle on this issue. The overarching question is whether or not the collective voices supporting the bill can overcome the remaining opposition forces, led by the Pechanga and Agua Caliente tribes.
At a hearing in April, we saw the first indications of this new, united front. Not only did the racing industry come out in support of AB 2863 during the hearing, but a number of union representatives and members spoke before the committee, sending a powerful message to California lawmakers.
With today’s letter clearly showing wide-ranging support for AB 2863, the legalization of online poker in California has unprecedented momentum.
As noted, the letter has a long list of signatories:
You can see the letter here.