PPA Counts Washington Fly-In A Success

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Published: Saturday, October 27, 2007 mgowanbo.cc

Poker ambassadors gave politicians something to think about

The Poker Players' Alliance three day Washington education project last week looks to have been successful, giving politicians another perspective on Internet poker and garnering significant media coverage for the 800 000 member poker lobbying and pressure group.

One of the PPA members who met with Congress posted on 2+2 Forums that Representative Jim Moran of Virginia has agreed to cosponsor HR 2046 (Barney Frank's proposal to regulate online gambling) and this was confirmed this week.

Nearly 100 Poker Players' Alliance members, many of them celebrities on the international poker circuit, converged on Capitol Hill for a conference and to talk with legislators about online gaming.

"By all accounts the Washington Fly-In and policy conference was a huge success, and we made a significant impression on Congress and the media," said John Pappas, PPA's executive director.

The group spent three days lobbying and talking to media and politicians about online gambling, and holding in-depth discussions with 48 members of the U.S. House and Senate to give them a more balanced perspective on the benefits and desirability of legal online poker.

"We were armed with the message that poker is a game of skill which should be regulated, not prohibited - and we successfully delivered that message," Pappas said. "Several of our meetings resulted in commitments of support and co-sponsorship of H.R. 2046 and H.R. 2610."

Among the points made by the group were:

Technology has progressed sufficiently to effectively combat problem gambling and ensure that players are of legal age.

Billions in potential tax revenues from online poker are being lost under the UIGEA.

Appropriate federal regulation can ensure that minors are kept out of sites, services are provided to problem gamblers and the proper taxes are collected.

Prohibitions don't work. The UIGEA effectively bans online poker in the U.S. and drives those players underground. Meanwhile, poker continues to grow in popularity nationwide. Seventy-five percent of Americans oppose banning online poker.

If Congress allows Americans to bet on horses, state lotteries and even fantasy sports online, why can't they play a skill game like poker with other consenting adults?

Poker personality Howard 'The Professor' Lederer played a major role in the PPA's policy forum, "Poker: Public Policy, Politics, Skill and the Future of the American Tradition," on Wednesday. He and Professor Charles Nesson of Harvard, Radley Balko and Kenneth Adams led the discussion as participants took a look at the political future of poker.

Pappas said that it was important that poker players in the United States become more politically aware and active, making their voices heard by their political representatives and ensuring that their vote counted.

He also said one of the highlights of the conference was the Tuesday night reception on Capitol Hill where more than 150 staffers and PPA members gathered together to talk poker.

Top players like Andy Bloch met with congressional aides, attended a capacity-crowd "policy forum" and played demonstration hands, arriving at the National Democratic Club after walking the corridors of power to hold a poker education clinic, followed by a no-limit Texas Hold-'em shoot-out while fans watched and some lawmakers joined in.

"It was awesome," Pappas said. "Even better, eight members of Congress attended the reception, including Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.), to show their support for the PPA. I have worked in Washington for a long time, and I can tell you how difficult it is to get members of Congress to show up to these types of events. It is a testament to the many hours the PPA has spend building our credibility with lawmakers."