The United States government has spent a good part of the last five months beating up online poker.
Once the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act - which was attached to a must-pass act to increase safety at our nation's ports - snuck through Congress, some of the largest online sites pulled out of the U.S. market. But, online poker continues to be strong today, thanks to several privately held online companies that decided to stay.
Now, it's clear that the fight to protect online poker will have to be wagered by those who play it, and by several nonprofit groups that are trying to rally the troops.
The Poker Players Alliance is the largest poker organization in the world. With thousands and thousands of members, an office in Washington, DC, and board members that include former
World Series of Poker champions Greg Raymer and Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer, and Card Player's own legal expert Allyn Jaffrey Shulman, it's constantly assaulting poker opponents with passion and common sense.
Through its website, www.pokerplayersalliance.com, concerned players can join the PPA for free, write letters to their political representatives, find out what kind of actions the PPA recommends, and join local teams that will soon take the battle for poker legality to regions all across the U.S.
The PPA's main concern now is to convince the 110th Congress that poker is a uniquely American game of skill that deserves exemption from the UIGE Act and the other ways that the federal government is targeting online gaming. Fantasy sports, horse racing, and online lotteries already received exemptions.
The PPA estimates that more than $4 billion in state and federal taxes would be generated if the U.S. government would tax and regulate online poker - which is something that was never mentioned by the proponents of the UIGE Act, not once. With the federal deficit at a record high, the PPA is hoping that this hits home with politicians who realize that no mater how hard the government tries, online poker is here to stay.
Joining the PPA is really only a small thing that players can do for poker. Politicians do listen to their constituents. They spend time with people who stop by their offices, who write them letters. The more people who enter the political process - which goes way beyond just voting - the more likely they are to listen. And poker, despite its obvious mainstream acceptance among Americans and elsewhere in the world, needs all the help it can get from the players who populate the games, both online and in firehouses, bars, and cardrooms across the U.S.
Here's one thing to mention to the politicians: Hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities was generated through poker tournaments all around the country last year. The United Way, UNICEF, breast cancer research, as well as youth sports teams and even schools, have benefited from poker. Despite this, states like Texas have worked to crack down on these events.
Get involved. Tell your politicians what you think about poker. Find a poker organization that you like, join it, and become an active member. Write letters, and make phone calls. Stand up to Big Brother and tell him to leave poker alone.
