Model State Initiatives for Legalization of Poker

[Grasshopp3r]

Following Tuff Fish's attempt to craft an initiative for California, which I believe is the easiest and cheapest state to pursue an initiative, there needs to be more discussion on how to word an initiative, etc. Please post and critique initiatives here.

Perhaps the Accams Razor approach is in order. The measure should read:

"Online poker shall be legal and any financial method to fund a player's account is also legal. The State Gaming Commission shall enact regulations to ensure fair games and charge fees for the efficient enforcement and direct costs of the regulations, to be paid by the operators of the game, who will have the right to charge publicly displayed fees to each player."

[Tuff_Fish]

Go for it, there is still time.

As of today, you have 24 days for the attorney general to issue title and summary and still have the full 150 days to collect the signatures.

However, title and summary can take more than that, although this one should be easy.

All signatures have to be submitted 133 days before the election in which it is put on the ballot. (assuming you want to make the Feb 5 primary)

Get cracking, time is wasting. I will sign it.


Tuff

[Skallagrim]

Good start grasshopper, but your wording will run into Constitutional problems as the Commerce Clause most likely prohibits a state from regulating, in the strict legal sense, online businesses, including gambling businesses.

So I would suggest keeping your first sentence but adding a second part that says something like "provided said online poker is restricted to persons 21 years of age or over and further that the offerer of said online poker shall have demonstrated to either the Cal. State Gaming commission or other similar regulatory agency that its games are equally fair to all players and that suitable methods to insure a random dealing of cards occurs." Then I would suggest adding that the Gaming Commission may issue licenses and regulations for California companies to operate such online poker sites and pay taxes or fees.

Skallagrim

[Grasshopp3r]

Thank you for your comments. I am not a California resident, however, someone who is or can use this for another state is free to adopt this language. Colorado's initiative process is pretty tough and expensive. Obvioulsy, this is where the PPA should come in to assist these efforts.

[crashjr]

As the purported voice of poker players in the US, I think it would be appropriate for the PPA to weigh in on this thread and Tuff's main CA initiative thread. After all, there is a duly submitted proposed initiative concerning online poker on file at the California Secretary of State's office.

[permafrost]

[ QUOTE ]
As the purported voice of poker players in the US, I think it would be appropriate for the PPA to weigh in on this thread and Tuff's main CA initiative thread. After all, there is a duly submitted proposed initiative concerning online poker on file at the California Secretary of State's office.

[/ QUOTE ]

So true. PPA, are you paying attention?