California tribes entice patrons with 'free' Internet gambling

Tuesday, October 11, 2011  

Tribes in California aren't waiting for the state to legalize Internet gambling -- they have launched their own websites to entice patrons and sway opinion on the controversial subject.

The California Online Poker Association, a coalition led by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, launched CalShark.Com yesterday. The Barona Band of Mission Indians also started its own Internet poker game.

And that's just the beginning. More tribes plan to do the same according to a lobbyist for the California Tribal Business Alliance, which has opposed existing gambling legislation in the state.

"It's branding, creating customer loyalty, getting a database," lobbyist David Quintana told The Sacramento Bee. "Then when something happens to make it legal they can flip the switch from a free site to a paid site."

Get the Story:
California tribes launch free poker sites (The Sacramento Bee 10/11)
POKER: An online poker group unveils free site (The Riverside Press-Enterprise 10/11)
COPA deals state a play online poker free card (The Palm Springs Desert Sun 10/11)