To the surprise of no one, the insider trading charges filed by Canadian regulators against former Amaya CEO David Baazov (Baazov has taken a voluntary leave of absence from his position as CEO and Chairman of the Board) are already having a negative impact on efforts to pass an online poker bill in California, and based on some of the comments coming out of the Golden State, it could lead to a major shakeup among the coalitions that have formed between certain stakeholders. The situation PokerStars is now facing has bolstered the company’s detractors, evidenced by tribal lobbyist David Quintana’s…

Hopes were raised in the U.S. online poker community earlier this week when it was reported the New York Senate included a provision in its budget proposal that would legalize online poker in the Empire State. And now, a recent article by Gambling Compliance has raised hopes even higher. According to Gambling Compliance (paywall), the Chairman of the New York Assembly Racing and Wagering Committee, Gary Pretlow, is ready to tackle the issue, telling the industry trade publication he wanted to make sure the state’s land-based casinos were on board with such a proposal. “I don’t want to throw any…

There may yet be hope for ending the long stalemate between California tribes and racetracks on Internet poker. PokerNews.com has received a copy of language Assemblyman Adam Gray has floated to industry stakeholders to fill out his shell bill AB 431 from last year. The new bill may be introduced in the next week, prior to the Feb. 19 deadline for bills to be introduced in 2016. The major development in this proposed language compared to previous bills in the state is a $57 million annual stipend to the horse racing industry in exchange for acceptance not to be operators….

New York will have another crack at online poker. Legislation that would regulate online poker sites in the Empire State was re-introduced this week. The measure was considered last year but didn’t gain any traction in Albany. The bill is from Assemblyman Gary Pretlow, who is pushing legislation along with Sen. Bonacic, who has yet to re-introduce his proposal. Both are at the helm of gaming and racing committees. The latter’s poker bill was up for public discussion in the fall, although a vote wasn’t held. New York held the hearing in early September on whether to regulate online poker…

That annual chatter regarding online poker regulation in various states has already begun for 2016. The problem is that much of the chatter is going on outside of California and Pennsylvania. While any discussion regarding iPoker regulation is positive, the reality is that much of it is glorified lip service. While it is great that Massachusetts and Washington State are already talking about regulation this year, there’s nothing that leads us to believe that they will lead to even as much as a positive committee vote. Frankly, until Pennsylvania or California regulate online poker, most talk towards that end is…

Breaking reports from Kentucky-based news outlets have revealed that a county-level circuit judge issued a massive $290 million judgment last month against PokerStars and its current parent, Canada-based Amaya Gaming, as part of an ongoing case brought by a private firm representing the state’s interests against PokerStars and other offshore sites who once serviced Kentucky players. Local news reports confirm that Franklin Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wingate awarded the $290 million judgment against several defendants, including Amaya Group Holdings and a subsidiary connected to Stars or Full Tilt operations on Nov. 20.  The state brought its action against the original Full Tilt, PokerStars,…