California Says "No" To Online Poker In 2018

There is not going to be any online poker coming down the pipe for California in 2018. The legislation that possibly could have brought it to the forefront is now dead according to many observers. They have been paying attention to this to see which way it might go. We now know the truth is that it is not going to happen at all. 

California seems more content to wait until the Supreme Court of the United States makes a decision about legalized sports betting before taking any action. This is highly disappointing for many poker players in the state who hoped that legalization in California could pave the way for legalized poker throughout the nation. That does not seem to be on the table at the moment. 

State legislators in California have stated that it is not going to be an option for them there during this year. The lobbying pressure in California to keep online poker illegal in the state is just too strong. There are a number of casinos and card rooms that already exist within the state's borders that do not want to see this legislation get passed. They are pushing their hardest to keep it away from the desks of any Governor in California anytime soon. 

California has always been thought to be a state that is more open and friendly to gambling. Considering the massive amount of card rooms and casinos that dot the landscape there, it was believed that this could be a place where online poker was welcomed with open arms. Not so much though. 

Instead, lawmakers seem to be held captive to the money that comes from the lobby groups in the state to do anything about it. It is ironic now that online sports gambling might have a better chance of taking the cake in California than will other forms of gambling like online poker. It is almost a slap in the face of online poker players, but that is the situation as of right now. We know that it is not coming to the largest state in the Union in 2018.