How California Online Poker Laws Might Affect Your Game

As of 2014, there are three states in which online poker has been completely regulated and legalized. Unfortunately, however, California is not one of them. The truth is that, just as it is in most states, it's something that many people simply do not understand. The state itself does not have any laws at all on the books regarding the activity. In fact, those who have found sites that will accept them have never been pursued for spending their money on gambling. The only law that affects the residents isn't really a law. The UIGEA, or the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, went into effect in 2006 and is currently the only real "California online poker laws" to go by. It did not seek to prosecute those who chose to access such a site; rather, the purpose was to put a stop to the financial transactions between financial institutions and casinos.

As far as any efforts to create favorable California online poker laws are concerned, there have been a few unsuccessful attempts. In 2008, a man by the name of Lloyd Levine, an Assemblyman for the state, attempted to pass a bill that would allow the state's government officials to consider the legality of these sites. Unfortunately, that bill did not pass and neither did any of the others that followed despite the fact that more than two million people in California profess to continue to play online poker despite the UIGEA. These days, organizations continue to attempt to put new legislature into place, including a 2012 bill that was introduced by two senators which would have allowed site operators to become licensed only after passing strict background exams and paying significant licensing fees directly to the local treasury. As it stands, California online poker laws still do not allow the practice although card rooms and casinos are quite legal there. People continue to log on to offshore gambling establishments to enjoy their favorite pastimes, however, and the people as well as certain political figures continue to fight to legalize the activity. It is though that legalization could bring millions of dollars back into the state that are currently being spent abroad. For now, though, gamblers must log on and make deposits with these venues at their own risk.