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On Friday, California Gov. Jerry Brown announced that Jim Evans would replace former Commission chairman Richard Lopes, who resigned his post last month.
Until Thursday, Evans served as Brown’s spokesman. Prior to that gig, Evans held a similar mouthpiece role for the state’s Business, Transportation and Housing Agency.
Evans has a journalism background, having served as a reporter for newspapers including the Sacramento Bee.
Quite how any of that qualifies Evans to preside over the state’s fractious gambling industry is one of the mysteries of politics.
Evans assumes control of the $139k per year job during a time of great flux in the California gaming ecosystem, which is engaged in a highly divisive fight over how to define the
parameters of a regulated online poker market.
Both commission members were dealing with conflict of interest allegations regarding an investigation into alleged profit skimming at San Diego cardroom Casino M8trix.
The investigation had grown to encompass allegations of improper contact between Casino M8trix staff and commission members,
which prompted both Lopes and Littleton to recuse themselves from matters regarding the investigation, until it became apparent that this was insufficient to eliminate the taint of impropriety.
SOURCE
Until Thursday, Evans served as Brown’s spokesman. Prior to that gig, Evans held a similar mouthpiece role for the state’s Business, Transportation and Housing Agency.
Evans has a journalism background, having served as a reporter for newspapers including the Sacramento Bee.
Quite how any of that qualifies Evans to preside over the state’s fractious gambling industry is one of the mysteries of politics.
Evans assumes control of the $139k per year job during a time of great flux in the California gaming ecosystem, which is engaged in a highly divisive fight over how to define the
parameters of a regulated online poker market.
Both commission members were dealing with conflict of interest allegations regarding an investigation into alleged profit skimming at San Diego cardroom Casino M8trix.
The investigation had grown to encompass allegations of improper contact between Casino M8trix staff and commission members,
which prompted both Lopes and Littleton to recuse themselves from matters regarding the investigation, until it became apparent that this was insufficient to eliminate the taint of impropriety.
SOURCE
