It is bizarre how much sudden interest has been placed on online casinos and Internet gambling.  At one point in time it seemed like it would be several years before online casinos would be regulated in the United States.  But, within that last few months interest in regulating online casinos and other forms of online gambling has generated so much interest that it looks like online casinos or at least online poker is certain to be regulated by the end of the year.

The latest push for online gambling legislation has cropped up at the last minute.  It appears a league of Indian tribes is determined to legally offer online poker before the end of the 2009 legislative session.

A draft agreement is circulating among tribes in California called the California Tribal Intrastate Internet Poker Consortium LLC.  The Morongo Band of Mission Indians and a group of other card clubs make up the group.  A card room based in Los Angeles called the Commerce Club is also a part of this Limited Liability Corporation.

Several tribes in California are completely against the causes for online poker.  Like most mindsets in the brick and mortar gambling world they believe it will endanger Indian casinos in the United States.  However, the Morongo Band may just be looking toward the future of gambling and trying to get an early foothold.

“The effort is still coming together,” said Patrick Dorinson, a spokesman for the Morongo Tribe.

“There is no author for any bill yet. There is no official legislation. There’s a lot of drafts floating around.”