Online Poker Futility Serves As A Lesson To California Tribes On Embracing Technology In A Changing Industry
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By Dave Palermo
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Tribal leaders and gambling industry executives are pessimistic of success in getting online poker enacted in the two-year legislative cycle that began in January, largely because of lingering differences over the licensing suitability of PokerStars.
“There is no evidence that the tribes have reconciled that or even demonstrated a willingness to do so,” said Jim Ryan, CEO of Pala Interactive, an enterprise of the Pala Band of Mission Indians.
“Everything I’m being told is that the legislators in Sacramento have been exhausted by the issue. So in the absence of a material catalyst I think iPoker is certainly going nowhere fast.”
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Pala and the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut operate websites offering real-money gambling and social gaming, where players pay for credits to play casino games that do not produce jackpots.
“In the past 3½ years many tribes have provided social gaming offerings over the internet,” Ryan said, including several California Indian bands.
Economists believe the annual North American social gambling market is approaching $4 billion in annual revenue.
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