Fri, 01/07/2011 – 20:22 – PokerPages Staff

Poker Voters of America are set to unveil a third online poker bill for the state of California this week.

The intrastate lobby group has confirmed that the bill will be a variation of the bill endorsed by Senator Rod Wright last year but with a poker only focus.

Poker Voters President Melanie Brenner spoke of the subtle changes made to the bill in an interview earlier this week.

“The bill is different from Wright’s bill, it has taken out limits on the number of operating hubs and introduces a further income distribution component, granting further benefits to stakeholders such as tribes.”

Wright introduced his own bill last month alongside the legislation proposed by the California Online Poker Association (COPA) headed by the Morongo Tribe.

Brenner admitted that the moves by other parties to put forward respective bills had taken them by surprise. The Poker Voters had an agreement that they would be informed of any significant developments.

Wright’s bill stalled in June last year following opposition from the Morongo and other card clubs as it would have put offshore sites and Las Vegas casinos in control of online gambling in the state.

Brenner believes it is now an urgent matter with the crippling deficit set to take its toll on California during the coming months.

The bill is currently sponsored by Assemblyman Jerry Hill though Brenner revealed they are hoping to secure the backing of a figure in the Senate who ‘will be more of a champion of it.’