by Mario Alfonsi | Published on Jul 15, 2012 | Updated on Jul 15, 2012If you’ve been following the progress of online poker legislation in the United States, you’ll know that California has been a key battleground in the fight over state-by-state regulation. It’s the largest state by population in America, and while smaller stakes may require compacts to create viable poker rooms, there’s little doubt that California’s 37.6 million residents could support online poker on their own.However, it’s unclear as to whether the state actually wants online poker within its borders. Legislation on the topic has been contentious, with even the gaming industry and Native American tribal groups finding themselves split on the issue. While multiple bills to regulate online poker have been introduced to the California legislature over the past two years, none have gotten so far as to receive a full vote.Now, a recent survey shows a rather deep divide among voters in the state over whether online poker should be allowed there. In a survey of 997 registered voters, only 49% of those polled supported bringing regulated online poker to California, while 45% were opposed. With a margin of error of 4.5%, that difference is not significant, meaning opinion is likely very close to even on the issue.Interestingly, the same survey found much broader support for allowing sports betting in the state. 58% of California voters were in favor of allowing sports betting, with 35% being opposed. It’s worth noting that it would currently be against federal laws in the USA for California to allow sports betting, as only four states (Nevada, Delaware, Montana and Oregon) are currently grandfathered in as being allowed to offer such wagering since the ban on sports betting was put into place.Perhaps most worrying for online poker supporters in California is that this change seems to reflect a drop in support for online poker in recent months. Last September, a similar poll found 53% of Californians supported online poker.
