Manne wrote:
SACRAMENTO - Two Inland Southern California tribes with large casinos are pushing legislation to legalize Internet poker in the state, the opening bid in what could be an intense Capitol fight involving tribes who oppose the idea.
The Morongo Band of Mission Indians near Banning and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians near San Bernardino are the leading members of a new group of tribes and card clubs called the California Online Poker Association. It is the sponsor of the bill introduced Monday, the first day of the 2011-12 session.
The measure would put a "licensed entity" that already has a casino or card club in California in charge of an "intrastate Internet poker website." In return, the entity would pay the state an unspecified share of the revenue.
Federal law prohibits online gambling, but increasingly popular websites based outside the U.S. attract an estimated 2 million California poker players who bet as much as $300 million annually, according to an estimate earlier this year.
States can license their own legal games; none has done so. In Congress, meanwhile, fast-evolving online gambling legislation championed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, of Nevada, could go to a vote before year's end.
Supporters of this week's California proposal called it a way to keep gambling revenue in-state, while protecting online poker enthusiasts from unscrupulous offshore gambling sites.
"It's just not safe to play poker on these sites," James Ramos, the chairman of the San Manuel tribe, said in a statement distributed by the online poker association. It includes 29 tribes and some of the state's largest card clubs.
Critics said the bill would give its sponsors a monopoly on online poker. The bill would make it a crime to play poker on any other site.
"In our opinion, internet gaming of some sort is coming. It's a given," said David Quintana, the political director of the California Tribal Business Alliance, which includes several large tribes with casinos.
But Quintana called this week's measure "the equivalent of the state passing a bill to give Chevron the sole right to operate gas stations in California."
The bill, introduced by state Sen. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, closely resembles a proposal that has been pushed by the Morongo tribe since mid-2009. It's the first of what's expected to be several online gambling measures to emerge in the coming legislative session.
State Sen. Rod Wright, D-Inglewood, leads the Senate committee with oversight of gambling issues. He plans to re-introduce a bill to legalize online gambling that stalled in committee in June.
That bill would have let the state award 20-year contracts to up to three operators to run legal online gambling websites.
Online poker groups also are crafting potential legislation. And different tribes or tribal groups could come forward with their own ideas.
Anti-gambling groups have said legalizing online poker would create more problem gamblers. The issue also has deeply split California's powerful tribal gaming industry.
CHIPPING AT CASINOS
Some tribal critics say legalization of online poker would undermine their casinos. They also question whether it would violate agreements that limit casino competition in return for the tribes giving the state a share of revenue.
The Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians, which runs a casino near Temecula, has been a vocal opponent of legalizing online gambling.
"Despite our historic alliances, this is one of those rare instances in which we simply do not agree with the consequences of authorizing intrastate Internet poker," Pechanga Chairman Mark Macarro said at a February hearing, referring to the Morongo tribe. "This is a game changer."
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Two megastars – Kim Kardashian and Kanye West - may have fornicated and successfully procreated, reportedly. MediaTakeOut, not unlike the National Enquirer, is alleging that they have a Kim Kardashian insider who claims to have overheard Kim on the phone with Kanye discussing her options. The story goes that Kim and Kanye began hanging out over the summer, as he was helping her launch a music career.
The insider tells MTO, "Kim has been seeing Kanye [West] off and on for years now. But this summer, they [hooked up] five or six times. Kanye told her that he didn't want anything serious, but Kim really likes him."
The insider goes on to snitch, "Kim is being very secretive about everything. She calls [Kanye] almost non-stop and wants to know what she should do."
MTO goes on to report, "The insider reportedly OVERHEARD the conversation between Kanye and Kim, with her OWN EARS."
However, Kim, who is apparently dating Halle Berry's ex, Gabriel Aubry denies the rumors, telling People: "The rumors are absolutely not true. I'm not pregnant."
Through her denials, however, there are reports that Kardashian is looking to nest. The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star is apparently hoping to start a family with Aubry after reports claimed she has become "broody" after seeing him with his daughter, Nahla, who he fathered with Berry.
The Internet is ablaze with Kardashian-West baby rumors!!??