At the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas, officials from the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) told Poker News Daily that the major pro-internet gambling bill in Congress may be marked up this week. However, no hearing appears on the schedule of the House Financial Services Committee.
The PPA had originally expected HR 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, to be marked up the week of July 12th. However, the only meeting that appears on the schedule of the House Financial Services Committee is in Canfield, Ohio on Tuesday morning. There, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a hearing entitled, “After the Financial Crisis: Ongoing Challenges Facing Delphi Retirees.”
Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), who chairs the House Financial Services Committee, also introduced HR 2267 in May 2009. The bill is up to 69 co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle, but has generated just six new endorsers since 2010 began.
The PPA is up to 1.2 million members, many of whom helped raise $27,000 as part of the organization’s July 1st Money Bomb. PPA Executive Director John Pappas told Poker News Daily that the average donation was a little over $20.
The PPA will use its $27,000 in newfound cash to fund a series of ads in publications like Roll Call and Politico supporting the markup efforts. The original fundraising target of the July 1st campaign was $25,000, meaning that the PPA exceeded its expectations. Preset donation amounts ranging between $5 and $500 are still available on the PPA’s website, where funds continue to be accepted.
The July 1st date marked exactly one month from the date of mandatory industry compliance with the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). After the bill was originally passed in late 2006, its regulations had not yet been fully enforced. Now, credit cards, banks, and other financial institutions must fall into line with the four year old bill. In the background of the mandatory compliance deadline was arguably the most successful WSOP in history, including the second largest Main Event ever at 7,319 entrants.
In a video posted on the official website of the PPA conducted by ESPN’s Andrew Feldman, Pappas described the lay of the land following June 1st: “We hear from players all of the time if there are disruptions in deposits or payouts or anything like that and we’re not hearing any of those issues. It’s an eerie silence and we’re wondering what is going to happen, if another shoe is going to fall.”
Frank had alluded to a vote on HR 2267 during a hearing in the House Ways and Means Committee in May. Pappas told Poker News Daily and Feldman that a vote in committee could happen in the “next couple of weeks.” The House Financial Services Committee last tackled the internet gambling issue in December. During the proceedings, Ranking Member Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL) asked why officials from the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve were not in attendance. Consequently, those two entities are expected to take center stage in the yet-to-be-scheduled markup hearing.
The PPA is also seeking to expand its Board of Directors, perhaps by adding New Hampshire State Director Patrick Fleming. The organization has created a nominating committee for the Board that consists of the current Board members and several State Directors. A total of three additional personalities may join the PPA’s Board, which currently includes Pappas, Alfonse D’Amato, Chris Ferguson, Linda Johnson, Howard Lederer, Rich Muny, and Greg Raymer.
Visit the official website of the PPA for full details.
