The Southern Baptist Convention has a new article against online poker, which cites PPA and the poker community, saying we "(show) no intention of stepping away from the table this year." They are right! We won't.

http://erlc.com/article/legalizing-o...er-for-america

 

Predictably, the news cycles these days have been largely consumed with the unpredictable—the outcome of the 2012 presidential election and, to be answered sooner, the announcement of the No. 2 spot on the GOP ticket. For added flair, the media have also been showcasing the sensational—Secret Service prostitution scandals in Colombia and General Services Administration spending scandals in Las Vegas.

But almost entirely absent from media mention is a brewing scandal that combines aspects of all of these unfolding sagas. This thriller, which packages together the unpredictability of winning with the predictability of ruined lives and Vegas-style interests with lots of cash to be frittered away, is a concerted effort by the pro-gambling lobby to legalize various forms of online gambling. “Horror” might better characterize it.

Reeling from slowed business and smaller coffers in the wake of a 2006 law to clamp down on the illegal practice of online gambling, the gambling lobby is roaring back in an effort to convince the government to license and regulate betting on the niche game of Internet poker; all online games involving wagering are currently illegal....

I posted a response. I doubt they'll ever post it:

---> "Too bad the media haven’t picked up on this scandal."

What scandal? Many Americans have organized to stand up for their beliefs while also exercising their right to petition the government for redress of grievances -- a guaranteed by the First Amendment. That's no scandal. That's democracy in action.

You're also seeing a movement away from reliance on big government within the conservative movement. After all, big government is big government regardless of if it's from the left or the right. That's why your arguments against online poker sound remarkably similar, for example, to those made by those who argue for government restrictions on fast food.

---> "The pro-gambling lobby, however, remains undeterred. As one example, the Poker Players Alliance spent $1.4 million last year lobbying Washington power brokers in support of Internet gambling initiatives such as Rep. Barton’s bill, the Roll Call newspaper reported. This alliance, along with multiplied other gambling special interest groups, shows no intention of stepping away from the table this year either."

Yes, poker players, poker enthusiasts, and freedom lovers in general will not give up or go away.

---> "The measure’s name itself is misleading. Contrary to its suggestive title, the Barton bill would not “strengthen UIGEA”—short for the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which President Bush signed into law in 2006—but instead weaken it."

With the December Department of Justice determination that the Wire Act applies solely to wagers on sporting events or contests -- and not to online poker or online casino gaming -- the states are moving ahead on online gaming legislation. New Jersey will authorize online games of chance like roulette, while Illinois will surely offer online instant lotto scratch-off tickets eventually (the functional equivalent of an online slot machine). Other states will follow.

I expect many states to jump on the intrastate online gaming bandwagon if legislation like Rep. Barton's bill is not soon passed into law.

All we want is poker, the person-to-person game of skill played at kitchen tables across America. If Congress follows the suggestions in this article, they will be responsible for expansion of online casino-style gaming across America.

You were pragmatic when UIGEA, the bill you laud here, specifically excluded horse racing from the provisions of that legislation. I encourage you to be similarly pragmatic here regarding online poker.

TheEngineer, do you encourage poker players to reach out to groups like the SBC to talk about the merits of online poker?

Rich,

The messed up part is that they aren't saving anyone from anything. I think it's 26 states or more that have b&m casinos? And truly addicted gamblers will find a way to lose their money. These people will make it to the tables to lose money playing roullette and all those stupid table games with horrible odds. In Minnesota we can play limit poker, but no limit cash games are not allowed. But we can play no limit tourneys. So a lot of people make the drive to Iowa or Wisconsin just to play nl cash games. My point is that people will find a way to gamble, and Minnesota just loses tax money to other states while they "protect" us from being irresponsible gamblers. The same thing is happening on a national level. People are moving to Canada and Costa Rica so they can play a game that is legal and allowed all over the U.S.......just not on the internet. Also, I heard that Minnesota started an online lottery, which makes me irate because that is telling me that it is ok to gamble online with terrible odds if the state is making money and fleecing the average person, but if we want to do it on our own terms its not ok. So are the southern baptist people going after the online lotteries too? If not they are big hypocrites. Same goes for them if they are not trying to shut down b&m casinos in my opinion. (Not that I want that to happen obv)

Rich,

Thanks for representing us players you are doing a fabulous job! We will eventually win this silly battle!

 

Originally Posted by MYBLUEDOG

SBC is dogmatic about religious issues & protecting the heathens from evil.

They don't listen. They proclaim and preach that they have the only way to save the people. You either believe them or your opinion & point of view doesn't count.

SBC doesn't believe that any type of wagering is acceptable.

They would be the first in line for a Bingo license when they need the dough.

FUCKING WACKJOBS??? WOW THAT IS QUITE A DISPARAGING AND PATHETIC STATEMENT!YOU EVER HEARD OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH SUPRA1988 SHAME ON YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yeah but they encourage gay sex and molsestion of young boys. OH but stay away from Poker. fucking sick hyprocrites

 

Originally Posted by WWF2012

why do you post this shit??? its garbage ran thru a recyable bin?

Sun Tzu said, "know your enemy" (or, more accurately, he said, "So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss."). While I don't want to call FoF or anyone a literal "enemy," they are obviously an adversary on this issue, so we ought to apply this principle here.

Chad Hills of Focus on the Family responded to poker players in detail in the comments at http://www.citizenlink.com/2012/05/1...ernet-gambling. I encourage everyone to read through his posts.

Hills provides a lot of information that we can use on how they feel about the issue. It’s like sonar. We put our message out and now get to hear what bounced back. For instance, while many believe poker to be distinct from wagering on house-banked games of chance, Hills says online poker is the most addictive, dangerous type of gaming ever devised. This is good for us to know and to understand. Many simply assumed that anti-gaming people would prefer online poker to unrestricted broader online gaming. While I still assume the majority of our anti-gaming opponents would prefer poker + a Wire Act fix over unlimited online gaming, Hills provided great data that may help us to optimize the messaging here.

There's lots of additional info there for us. I encourage everyone to read through it carefully to gain an understanding of our opposition. Do keep in mind that, at least IMO, Hills started off believing online poker to be bad for society and then sought out justification for that belief.