If a recent interview with Assemblyman Gary Pretlow (above) proves true, then online poker in New York will go to the Governor's desk sometime in 2017.

The "lukewarm at best" supporter of online poker regulation in the state has finally put his full support behind the matter and claims that there will be little opposition to the matter in the Assembly.

Pretlow Says Concerns Over iPoker Are Resolved

Last year, Assemblyman Pretlow called iPoker a dead issue in the Assembly and based that in part on his personal concerns regarding key areas including security and geolocation.

In a recent interview with FiOS1, Pretlow has revealed that his concerns over iPoker have been resolved. He credits this resolution to his personal examination of online poker in New Jersey.

Pretlow now believes that geolocation technology is indeed sound and his concerns over cheating have been resolved.

Pretlow Believes the Bill Will Pass the Assembly

What is perhaps the biggest reveal in the interview is Pretlow's assertion that iPoker will move through the Assembly without much resistance.

The Assembly version of the bill, A5250, has yet to reach the floor for a vote but Pretlow thinks there will be little opposition to the bill.

According to Pretlow, once he signs off on a piece of legislation, his colleagues will fall into line and won't question his decision.

If this proves true, it all but guarantees that a bill will reach Governor Cuomo's desk at some point during the legislative year.

Cuomo Remains the Unknown Factor

One interesting wrinkle in all this is that Pretlow claims that there are those in Gov. Cuomo's administration that oppose regulating iPoker.  Pretlow did not elaborate what this meant and at this point, we don't know Cuomo's stance on the bill.

To data, the Governor has remained silent on the bill but he will be forced to break that silence at some point during the legislative year provided that the bill moves as expected.

Pretlow's recent revelation bodes well for NY iPoker, as there is more than enough time to thoroughly vet the matter and draft a final bill to pass and send to the Governor.

The NY legislative year doesn't end until June 21, so with any luck iPoker legislation could pass before the start of the 2017 World Series of Poker Main Event.