Efforts to legalize and regulate online poker in California for 2016 officially died Wednesday with the end of the state's legislative session. While legislation overcame one seemingly insurmountable roadblock to progress further than the issue had in eight previous years discussed in the state, it fizzled out in a perplexing way, leaving a sour aftertaste that could linger into next year.
As the bill came down to the wire in August, seemingly the only issue standing in the way of its passage was what suitability standards to include. A tribal coalition led by Pechanga and Agua Caliente wanted a steep 10-year ban against PokerStars and its parent company Amaya Gaming for previously operating in the state.