The past 72 hours have featured an upheaval of the online poker community, as the founders of PokerStars, Absolute Poker, and Full Tilt Poker were all indicted on charges that included violating the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and money laundering. Among the various organizations weighing in was the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), whose 1.2 million members, needless to say, have been affected greatly.
PPA Chairman Alfonse D’Amato commented in a press release distributed by the lobbying group shortly after the melee on Friday, “On behalf of the millions of poker players across the country, we are shocked at the action taken by the U.S. Department of Justice today against online poker companies and will continue to fight for Americans’ right to participate in the game they enjoy.”
For players concerned that they’d be actively breaking the law by playing online, D’Amato recognized, “Online poker is not a crime and should not be treated as such. We are currently gathering all of the information around today’s announcement and will offer detailed analysis when the full facts become available.”
On Monday, the PPA launched a Take Action Page that includes quick links to post to the Department of Justice’s Facebook page, e-mail Congress and U.S. President Barack Obama, post on the PPA’s Facebook page, and send a message to the PPA’s Twitter.
On the need for action, PPA Executive Director John Pappas commented in a news release, “The DoJ’s action serves as a wake-up call to poker players across the country that the basic right to play online poker is in serious jeopardy. We simply cannot miss this opportunity to protect our rights as American citizens. Now is the time for poker players to speak up in defense of this great game through as many outlets as possible.”
Pappas also contributed one of the more memorable phrases of the past few days, likening the Department of Justice’s actions to a “declaration of war” against players: “Millions of Americans across the country are outraged over the U.S. Department of Justice’s clear attack on internet poker. While the government’s focus may be on the companies who operate these games, this is plain and simple a declaration of war on poker players and poker players’ freedoms.”
Meanwhile, one of the PPA’s biggest allies on Capitol Hill, Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank, called Friday’s actions by the Department of Justice “an incredible waste of resources” in an article that appeared in The Hill. He added that law enforcement officials had their priorities confused: “Go after the people responsible for empty houses, not full houses.”
Congress is on recess for the Easter holiday and when Frank returns, he may be focused on HR 1174, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act. The bill, which Frank co-sponsored along with Congressman John Campbell (R-CA), establishes a full licensing and regulatory framework for internet gambling outfits in the United States. Frank serves as the Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee.
The bottom line is that the PPA will continue to fight for the rights of poker players in the United States. A recent press release sums it all up: “The PPA will continue to fight for its members, for every American who plays poker, and for the continued freedom to play this great American pastime.”
Legalize online poker in the US!!!