Morongo launches California intertribal poker consortium
The Morongo tribe has been joined by 21 tribes in its new consortium aimed at sharing the spoils from regulated online poker in the state, but enabling legislation looks unlikely before 2011.
The Morongo Band of Mission Indians has been joined by 21 tribes in its new California Intertribal Intrastate Poker Consortium, it revealed yesterday at a lunchtime signing ceremony.
The consortium will be one of two LLCs that will form the California Online Poker Association (COPA), according to an invitation sent out to tribes on Tuesday.
The Morongo/Card Room consortium has been sending out requests for proposal to provide its poker platform in a regulated Californian market to operators and providers, with a view to being one of the groups licensed to offer egaming if and when Senator Rod Wright’s intrastate bill passes.
Wright’s bill stalled in committee in June amid opposition from potential stakeholders and interest groups, including the Morongo. The author of the state’s first intrastate bill, Lloyd Levine, laid the blame at the time at the door of the Morongo, arguing that their decision to oppose Wright’s bill after earlier trying to force through their own version was “because they don’t get to own the whole thing.”
Spokesman Patrick Dorinson however told Capitol Weekly: “While we have some disagreements with the bill, we’re hopeful that all sides can come together and do what’s best for the state.”
Dan Quintana, lobbyist for the California Tribal Business Alliance, was however dismissive of the Morongo’s consortium launch, saying the state would never be able to turn over an exclusive franchise to any one group, particularly given the existing deals it had with California gaming tribes.
“It is a concept that will never happen, unless you believe that the legislature will gladly hand a multi-billion dollar monopoly to a self-selected group over similarly situated entities,” Quintana told the political newspaper.
“Assuming pigs flew and hell froze over, and it did happen, any similarly situated entity would have to be allowed to participate. It’s called the Constitution. So essentially, this is a celebration for a group that does not need to exist to participate in a concept that will never happen.”
California’s current legislative session ends on 31 August, increasing the likelihood that Wright’s bill will now not come up for a vote until 2011. It has however been designated as an urgency measure, meaning it would go into effect immediately upon legislative passage and signature by the Governor.