Internet Gambling Bill Unites Poker Players

Internet Gambling Bill Unites Poker Players

WASHINGTON, July 27 /PRNewswire/ — The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), a
grassroots organization dedicated to promoting and protecting the game,
announced today that membership of the organization has more than doubled
since the U.S. House of Representatives voted to ban online poker. Today,
the PPA boasts more than 75,000 members coming from every corner of the
country.

��� PPA President Michael Bolcerek attributes this tremendous growth to the
recent attempts by Congress to prohibit Internet gambling in the United
States. “This large jump in membership shows that American poker players
are coming to the defense of a game they love. With the rising threat to
the online game, poker players are starting to become politically savvy,”
said Bolcerek. “More than 70 million people in the United States enjoy
poker. In a day and age where computers dominate our daily lives, we must
embrace rather than criminalize advancements in technology that allow us
the opportunity to play this long-established pastime on the Internet. The
right approach is regulation of online poker, not prohibition of America’s
card game.”

��� Earlier this month, the U. S. House of Representative approved
legislation that would block payments from both banks and credit card
companies to online gambling sites. The bill, known as the Unlawful
Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (H.R. 4111), has the potential to deny
access to gaming sites altogether and force Web site operators to become
watchdogs for the federal government. While outlawing Internet poker, the
bill exempts other forms of online gambling such as horse racing and
Internet lotteries.

��� Legislation similar to H.R. 4111 is now being pushed in the U.S.
Senate.
��� “These membership numbers send a message to Congress that poker has a
strong following in this country. As the organization continues to grow in
members and influence, we fully intend to make these tens of thousands of
new voices heard in the halls of Congress,” said Bolcerek.

��� The Poker Players Alliance http://www.pokerplayersalliance.org is a
nonprofit organization advocating on behalf of American poker players.