PPA Chairman Discusses Online Poker and Politics -- Part IIThis is the Second Part of a Two-Part Interview With Alfonse D'Amato |
|
PPA Chairman Alfonse D’Amato discusses a wide variety of topics in an interview with Card Player in Part 2 of a two-part interview. He discusses the timeframe he expects pro-poker legislation to be passed in, the poker culture of Washington, D.C., and what poker players can do to help the fight.
In Part 1 of the interview, the former New York Senator talks about the legislation that is on tap for the new legislative session and some of the hurdles online poker has faced thus far, including opposition from the NFL.
The PPA was founded in 2005 to establish favorable laws for poker players. D’Amato joined the organization in 2007.
Card Player: Is poker currently on the legislative agenda for the new Congress, and if not, what will it take to get it there?
Senator Alfonse D'Amato: Well, you can’t suggest that it should be on the agenda this early in this legislative session, given the incredible meltdown in the financial community, given the priorities of the president and the Congress now. But it will be.
CP: What do you think is a realistic timeline for the UIGEA to be overturned?
AD: Probably during this legislative session, but I’m not going to predict early on because the fact of the matter is they’re dealing with the president’s economic stimulus package. The president’s nominees aren’t going to be thinking about this because this pales in comparison to these other issues. But, there will come a time where this stimulus package is passed. To knock on the door of the various legislators now and say, “Hey, by the way, we should appeal that obnoxious, ridiculous bill…” people would think that we’re nuts. They’d wonder where our priorities are. We would be hurting ourselves to attempt to push anything right now during these monumental times of crisis.
CP: Can you talk a little bit about some of the recent court cases that have gone on in Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky?
AD: They’ve been terrific. This kook in Kentucky who’s tried to take the rights of poker sites is just incredible, but when you mention Kentucky, Pennyslvania, and Colorado, those were three victories for the poker community in less than a week. The courts in all three of these states have affirmed that individuals have a right to play poker in a time and place of their choosing.
If you want to play poker at home, you have a right to do that. If you want to play down at the VFW, you have a right to do that. These cases are a confirmation that poker is indeed a game of skill, not chance. We’re actively involved in the current case in South Carolina, but we’re going to reserve our comment until after the trial has concluded out of respect for the courts.
In Kentucky though, you had an example of an over-reaching state government and politicians who want to advance themselves by saying that they’re fighting this out-of-state gambling. They’re just trying to raise their political profile. But most people don’t care whether or not you want to play poker on the Internet, and I have a right to do it in my own home. Why should they try to take that right away?
CP: Can you speak a little bit about the poker culture of Washington?
AD: I played a pretty regular game, mostly on Thursday nights — probably two Thursdays out of a month. Thursdays were the nights that you stayed in late. It was a modest game. It wasn’t a high-stakes poker game. Historically, almost every president has played poker — Nixon, Truman, etc. It was one of Lyndon Johnson’s ways of getting the guys together. We have presidents who played with their cabinet members, Congressmen, and Senators. I know a number of Senators who have played and who do play, but I’m not going to start mentioning names.
I think that the political climate is changing. We’re going to drive our membership up to two million, that’s our goal in the next year. Before this session is out, we want to pass legislation that protects people’s rights to play their favorite game.
CP: What can Card Player readers do to help the PPA?
AD: Call your Congressman on the phone and ask where they stand on this issue. Go visit him at his office, not in Washington, but in your local district. If you have a couple friends who play poker on the Internet, bring them with you. There’s nothing like the individual reaching out. Send individual e-mails to their office and let them know. If you’re for people’s rights and against Big Brother government, then you should send a letter or an e-mail to your Congressman or Senator.
Copyright © 2001-2024
CardPlayer.com. All rights reserved.
