The Morongo Band of Mission Indians dropped efforts to legalize Internet poker in California but the tribe will try again in 2010.

The tribe and some non-Indian card clubs sought to operate online poker games and share revenues with the state. But some tribes and some lawmakers felt the effort was moving too quickly.

"As the legislative session winds down, one, we're running out of time and two, we want to address the concerns and build as strong a coalition as possible," Morongo spokesperson Patrick Dorinson told The Riverside Press-Enterprise.

Federal law bans Internet gambling but contains an exemption for certain tribal gaming activities, such as those conducted under a tribal-state gaming compact.

Get the Story:
Morongo tribe suspends push for online poker legislation (The Riverside Press-Enterprise 9/9)
Morongo Band folds on Net poker (The Palm Springs Desert Sun 9/9)