The major story in the online poker industry today was a hearing in the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade focused on internet gambling and online poker. The subcommittee or its parent, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, could convene in the “next few weeks” to dive further into the issue, according to Poker Players Alliance(PPA) Executive Director John Pappas, who was in attendance for today’s proceedings. Check out the hearing recap.

PPA Chairman and former three-term Senator from New York Alfonse D’Amato (pictured) represented the organization as one of six witnesses. Pappas, who was seated adjacent to D’Amato, told PocketFives, “The hearing was very encouraging. Unlike other hearings in the past where it was a debate about whether internet gambling should be regulated, today it was a question of when and how. They got into some real substantive issues, not all of them fully addressed. We’ll be working with the committee to get them the assurance they need.”

The subject of poker software came up several times, most notably the use of bots, which are outlawed on many of the most popular poker sites in existence. Pappas explained, “The bot discussion distracted from the bigger picture issues a little bit. Bots, while they are a problem, are a controllable issue and sites do a great job of mitigating them. It’s going to be something we’ll go back to the committee on with a really thorough response.” The PPA expects to follow up with the committee in the near future.

Chapman University School of Law Professor Kurt Eggert raised the bot issue originally and, while Pappas noted that the PPA reviewed Eggert’s written testimony ahead of time, “You can’t anticipate everything that’s going to be discussed.” Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX, pictured), the author of HR 2366, a bill that could bring online poker above board in the United States, candidly discussed amending his measure to punish repeat bot offenders with jail time.

D’Amato was exalted throughout the two-and-a-half-hour hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building. Several members of the committee acknowledged his hard work over the years and Pappas observed, “He brings a large amount of credibility to our cause. He is a former Senator; he’s not going to read from a script and he delivers an impassioned and heartfelt story. That’s something the lawmakers respond well to.”

As we wrote in a feature articleearlier today, consumer protection took center stage at Tuesday’s hearing. “It was well vetted,” Pappas said about protecting players. “They talked a lot about age verification and problem gamblers. We also want to talk about players’ funds being kept in segregated accounts and we’re confident new legislation will require that type of safeguard. There could have been more discussion of player safety, fraud, and collusion too. A lot of that is going to be addressed through regulation.”

Also on the subcommittee’s panel of witnesses was National Indian Gaming Association Chairman Ernest Stevens (pictured). We asked Pappas where the NIGA stands on the internet gambling issue: “I think everyone is trying to carve out the biggest slice of the pie for themselves. Stevens has legitimate concerns like the fact that internet gaming shouldn’t impact their current compacts with states.”

Pappas continued, “However, the idea that they should be exempt from regulation and taxation is a bridge too far for lawmakers. If you’re going to take gaming off your reservation, you’re going to need to be regulated. There’s some room for compromise, though, and we hope we can have a dialogue with them.”

Another hearing could come “within the next few weeks” and Pappas told PocketFives that the organization hopes several witnesses with technical expertise combating underage and problem gambling can be in attendance. Other entities that could be represented include the Treasury and Federal Reserve, which were both absent from Tuesday’s meeting.

Stay tuned to PocketFives for the latest poker legislation headlines.