California Online Poker Bill Revised Again

August 7, 2008 (InfoPowa News) — The latest news on Assemblyman Lloyd Levine's proposal to liberalize poker in California: His bill, AB 2026, has undergone another revision, taking it back to a study of the prospects for the game within California.
 
AB2026, the California Gambling Control/Intrastate Legalization Act, was originally intended to study whether California should take advantage of the right of individual states to pass laws on gambling to legalise online poker within the state.
 
The bill was subsequently amended to actually legalize poker, and has since been amended yet again to its current form, which is for a study. This is clearly illustrated by the passage:
 
"The enactment of this act does not authorize the play of Internet poker. In enacting this act, it is merely the intent of the Legislature to have the appropriate state agencies develop a suggested structure, potential regulatory guidelines, and estimate on the amount of revenues to the State of California that may be generated by the play of Internet poker for possible consideration in the future."
 
AB2026 presently languishes in the state Senate Appropriations Committee awaiting further action, which will probably consist of a debate on the availability of budget to execute such a project.