iGB Affiliate 52 AugSept | Page 87

ta WEBMASTER WORLD New York Wisconsin Michigan Washington Maine North Dakota Montana Oregon New Vermont Hampshire Minnesota Idaho South Dakota Wisconsin New York Michigan Wyoming Massachusetts Pennsylvania Rhode Island Connecticut Nebraska Pennsylvania Iowa Nevada Ohio Utah Illinois Kansas Missouri Ohio Delaware Indiana Maryland Colorado California West Virginia Virginia Kentucky North Carolina Tennessee Arizona New Jersey Oklahoma New Mexico Illinois South Carolina Arkansas Indiana Mississippi Alabama District of Columbia Georgia Louisiana Texas Missouri Florida Kentucky Affairs, a lobby for the racing industry, according to the report by OPR’s Dave Tennessee Palermo. Jeff Grubbe, chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, however said that: “I don’t think there will be any movement.” The Pechanga/Agua Caliente coalition, which numbers as many as nine tribes, remains steadfast in its opposition to licensing tracks and “bad California: Amber Arkansas actors”. Grubbe added: “No bill is better Present Status: A coalition of five tribes than a bad bill. We’re more than happy to are pressing forward on online poker Mississippi not even have Internet gaming. We’re fine legislation, in an attempt to overcome the with that,” according to OPR. An Assembly opposition of the Pechanga and Agua Governmental Organization hearing on Caliente Indian bands and get an bill to Louisiana Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer’s AB a state Assembly floor vote shortly after Alabama 167, which would extend licenses to racing legislators return from summer recess on 17 August, according to OnlinePokerReport. associations, is scheduled for 19 August. The San Manuel and Morongo Mission New York: Amber Indians, the Rincon and Pala Luiseño Present Status: State Senator John Bonacic Indians and the United Auburn Indian has again introduced a bill, S 5302, to Community are aligned with the horse bring regulated online poker to New York racing industry. “This is the biggest state. The bill proposes the issue of up to coalition yet behind Internet poker,” 10 licences, each with a $10 million one-off said Robyn Black of Eclipse Government 150,000 accounts, with Director Scott Bowen revealing to GiGse in April that it was selling more than 300,000 daily instant tickets online. The Michigan Lottery has projected to generate $480 million during the first eight years of online play. West Virginia North Carolina licensing fee attached. Bonacic’s framework would levy a 15% tax on GGR, and unlike the bill the Senator introduced last year, S 5302 does not include a bad actor provision. Pennsylvania: Amber Present Status: A sixth Pennsylvania South online gaming bill recently emerged. SB Carolina 900. Sponsored by Senator Kim Ward and co-sponsored by fellow Senators Robert Tomlinson, Elder Vogel, and Joseph Scarnati, also covers land-based gaming. Georgia The first draft proposes a 54% tax on online revenues, the same rate levied on land-based slots in Pennsylvania, the issue of one licence per land-based casino, and an in-person registration requirement. A further Pennsylvania bill (HB 1456) was introduced in July by Representative Eddie Day Pashinski, which would prevent casino licensees from being involved in operating social casinos. Pashinski stated that it would “help protect our youth from the risks associated with premature gambling.” Florida iGB Affiliate Issue 52 AUG/SEP 2015 85