This week, the PocketFives.com Podcast sponsored by Carbon Poker is pleased to welcome Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Executive Director John Pappas back to the show to break down HR 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act. The bill, which was introduced by Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), outlines a complete licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States and places a premium on consumer protection, as its name implies. Pappas evaluates the brand new bill and catches us up to speed on the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s internet censorship. It all comes your way courtesy of Carbon Poker, a Merge Gaming Network site that happily accepts customers from the United States.
Wednesday was a groundbreaking day for Pappas and those in the internet gambling industry. Frank (pictured at left) actually introduced two bills during a press conference in the morning. HR 2267 outlines a full regulatory framework for companies to solicit U.S. customers. Online wagering on sports would still not be permitted, but the bill could pave the way for the return of online poker. Pappas appeared on Bloomberg to discuss the bill, while Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative spokesperson Jeff Sandman turned up on Fox News. Pappas told the PocketFives.com Podcast, “The media has been interested. Barney Frank has taken some time out of an otherwise insane schedule for him. Anything he does is always going to garner attention because of his position on the House Financial Services Committee and the fact that he’s such a high-profile figure. We’re pleased that he’s our champion.”The road to HR 2267 becoming law is a long one. Companion legislation will likely need to be introduced in the Senate. In addition, a bill similar to Congressman Jim McDermott’s (D-WA) recently-unveiled Internet Gambling Regulation and Tax Enforcement Act (HR 2268) will need to be passed in order for the U.S. Government to extract revenue. Pappas explained, “At the end of the last Congressional session, the PPA was successful in getting S 3616 introduced, which seeks to license and regulate internet peer to peer games like poker. We’re going to work with Barney Frank to find a Senate sponsor for his bill.” S 3616 was introduced by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ).
The PPA has already begun reviewing the bill in its entirety and then will approach Frank with any changes to be made when and if it reaches markup. The organization will soon begin contacting its 1.2 million members asking for their vocal support. Pappas commented, “What we’re really going to focus on is getting people to write their Congressmen and call their Congressmen and tell them to support Barney Frank’s bill. We’ll focus most of our efforts immediately on our PPA members who live in the Financial Services Committee districts. We need to make sure those members hear loud and clear that there’s support for Barney Frank’s approach.” The Financial Services Committee approved Frank’s HR 6870 last September, which would have clarified the UIGEA. However, the then-emerging financial crisis stunted its progress.
In total, this week has brought new energy to the fight for the rights of online poker players on Capitol Hill. The mood is in contrast to last November, when the outgoing Bush Administration approved the regulations of the UIGEA as “midnight rules.” On the source of the momentum, Pappas revealed, “It’s sites like PocketFives being very good at spreading the word about what is going on in Washington D.C. and why it’s important for poker players to become activated. Barney Frank said that this is a grassroots issue. This will be done when the people who care about this issue tell their members of Congress ‘I care. Let me have the right to play.’”
Also making poker news headlines is the call for 11 internet service providers (ISPs) to block access by Minnesota residents to 200 internet gambling websites. Notices served to the ISPs by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety prompted a lawsuit by the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) that was filed on Wednesday. Pappas commented, “We haven’t seen the ISPs respond to the inquiry. I can assure you that if an ISP says they’re going to block the sites, the PPA will sue that ISP and I think we’ll have a strong legal argument.” iMEGA’s legal action charges that the Department of Public Safety did not have authority to act and that its notices to ISPs constitute First Amendment violations.Check out the rest of this week’s PocketFives.com Podcast featuring PPA Executive Director John Pappas.
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