In November last year, we cheered a delay in the implementation of the UIGEA (the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act approved in 2006 that pushed all public listed poker operators).

But now, it is again imminent with unknown effects on money transfers between players and U.S. facing poker rooms. Thus, there could not have been a better time for the sunshine state California to regulate online poker. True - the planned bill focusses on an intrastate online poker system (such as introduced in Italy or - within the next weeks - France).

But being the by far biggest U.S. state in terms of economic power and population, California could have a domino effect on the union that ultimately leads to a positive regulation and legalisation of online poker.

Senator Rod Wright introduced the amended version of SB1485 late on Friday. The bill proposes the state's Department of Justice award up to three five-year contracts to California-based operators to run online poker websites for state residents. From my point of view, there are two main reasons for the activities of California.

One is very prosaic: California needs cash for their growing budget deficit. The other is that California is very open to business and liberal in a lot of aspects - as was shown by the statement of the LA times in favour of online poker.

Relevance of the U.S. Still, the U.S. are the single biggest online poker market. Operating there is a huge competitive advantage for poker rooms such as PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker.

But the world-wide online poker boom also helped becoming more and more independent from the U.S. Comprising 28% of the world-wide online poker market, even a total shut-down of the U.S. poker market (not very probable) would not endanger the careers of online poker pros in Europe too much.

Source: Poker strategy