PrivateTable.com Launch Delayed Indefinitely

Online poker players in California have been anxiously awaiting the real-money launch of PrivateTable.com that was scheduled for this week.

Those players will have to wait a bit longer, as the poker site being readied by the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel will be delayed. Customer care at PrivateTable.com informed PokerUpdate that a firm launch date has not been set in stone.

We are making the final preparations,” said a site representative via email. “We are still double and triple checking everything and until that is all done we are not setting a date.”

Legal matters still being addressed?

Though not directly expressed, one can speculate that those multiple checks may center around the legality of PrivateTable.com going forward with a real-money launch without the legislative approval of online poker in California. Santa Ysabel Gaming Commission Chairman Dave Vialpando has insisted that the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) allows the site to proceed.

However, California is the most populous state in the nation and likely the most lucrative. With the potential of billions of dollars in revenue to be realized, you can almost certainly bet your bottom dollar that the Golden State’s cardrooms, racetracks and other Indian tribes are a bit miffed that Santa Ysabel appears poised to take the lead in the absence of online poker regulation.

Waiting is the hardest part

California lawmakers have been proposing ipoker bills for five years and the calendar will turn to 2015 before legislators convene to discuss the matter again. Assemblyman Reginald Jones-Sawyer aims to have a new Internet poker bill ready for introduction in December for the 2015 legislative session.

In the meantime, Californians can play online for play-money at PrivateTable.com until the real-money offering is launched. A site rep promised that an official announcement via press release will be forthcoming in the future.