Will residents in the State of California be able to play online poker soon? You would expect California to be able to regulate online poker better than any other US state. California has always been a leader in terms of inspiring changes and revolutions. California has never been scared to show strong opinions on topics such as drugs, environment, body art, health, sports, technology and therapy. Will it be the same when it comes to gambling and casino games?

Senators are debating two bills that would make California the first state to legally sanction online poker. Gambling operators could apply for a license to offer online poker to residents in California. The local administration has already acknowledged that online poker is already a reality since many players illegally play with offshore firms. The state could benefit by legalizing online poker and generate revenue in taxes from online gambling. The new legislation has just been amended to increase the number of possible licences that could be made available.

Known as Senate Bill 45 and introduced by California State Senator Louis Correa in mid-December, the new legislation proposal would give permission to Native American casinos and other gambling operators (race tracks or bookmakers) to request a license in order to run  legal poker website on the internet.

The new legislation, the Senate Bill 45, is receiving a lot of support from Californian poker players who want to be able to play on a legal site but also from budget conscious supporters who would like to see the state benefit from the profit rather than offshore poker website.

The poker industry is looking with hope for a return the days before the passing of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in October 2006. Because most online poker giants operate worldwide, to modify their operations in order to include the State of California will be a simple process. They will need to make sure that they offer the relevant payment methods for players in California and that they have the required support and marketing in place before they can go live, again, in the United States.

Other states are likely to follow with similar plans for licenses to regulate online poker. New Jersey, Nevada, Florida, Iowa and Hawaii, have also considering state licensing laws.

The only remaining issue in the way of poker players is the 2012 election. With limited time between now and the 2012 election to push for state-by-state legislation, the changes will be difficult to implement. The online gambling debate is a contentious topic and with the election looming, candidates might be tempted to brush the debate aside until 2013.