What an incredible up and down ride it’s been for the online poker community in 2007. With questions surrounding the legal future of the game in the United States to a massive turnout at the World Series of Poker, 2007 demonstrated more than ever that it’s important to stay in the know. Let’s look back at some of the events which shaped a year gone by for online poker.
January 1:
The membership of the Poker Players Alliance, the online poker industry’s main lobbying arm, stands at just over 130,000. It’s up dramatically from the 50,000 members the PPA boasted during the summer of 2006.
January 18:
World Series of Poker Director of Operations Gary Thompson outlines the 2007 WSOP, which will include nine new bracelet events. There will be 55 events total, culminating in the $10,000 Main Event.
February 21:
In response to the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, Harrah’s announces, “As a gaming company licensed in more than a dozen jurisdictions in the United States and abroad, Harrah's must follow the guidance of federal law in conducting its business. In this regard, the 2007 World Series of Poker venue will not contain advertising from dot.com sites that allow access to U.S. residents, nor ads from dot.net sites affiliated with those entities.”
March 5:
Membership of the PPA stands at 160,000. President Michael Bolcerek brings onboard former Republican Senator from New York Alfonse D’Amato. Bringing nearly 20 years’ worth of experience in office to the table, D’Amato’s arrival affords the PPA a considerable amount of publicity and experience.
April 5:
PocketFives.com sat down with Rich Cronin, President and CEO of GSN, and Steve Lipscomb, President and CEO of the World Poker Tour, to discuss the WPT’s sixth season, which will leave the Travel Channel for GSN. A date has not been confirmed, but you can look for WPT programming on The Network for Games within the next few months.
April 26:
Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) introduces H.R. 2046, “The Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act.” The Act establishes a framework for legal online gambling in the United States. PPA President Michael Bolcerek comments on the one drawback to H.R. 2046, the fact that states are ultimately allowed to determine whether internet gambling is legal within its borders: “It is an issue. It’s something we have to live with now. States will determine whether there is Internet gaming at all or what type of gaming they will accept. The likelihood of a federal law to pre-empt state laws - there’s not enough political muscle for that to be successful. This structure is in accordance with the how the brick-and-mortar gaming industry is regulated. That’s why the legislation is written the way it is.”
May 9:
Representing tremendous growth, the membership of the PPA passes half a million. Fueled by free memberships and the visibility from Alfonse D’Amato, the PPA establishes itself as a major lobbying force in Washington.
May 12:
The WSOP outlines changes to the payout structure for the 2007 Main Event. Players further down the money ladder will see more cash when eliminated. In essence, the tournament’s payouts become less top-heavy. The first person eliminated from the Main Event would walk away with $20,320 in 2007, up from $10,616 in 2006, although the field was smaller last year.
May 29:
The PPA promotes John Pappas to oversee the government relations arm of the organization. Michel Bolcerek commented on Pappas’ new role: “He will be coordinating the lobbying and grassroots efforts as well as spending a considerable amount of time on Capitol Hill educating lawmakers and staff about sensible regulation of online poker. With Representative Barney Frank’s bill already moving forward and the likelihood of a poker ‘skill game’ bill being introduced soon, the PPA will be extremely active to ensure that Congress gives these bills full consideration.”
June 7:
Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) introduces the Skill Game Protection Act, or H.R. 2610. This Act essentially carves out poker, chess, bridge, and other games of skill from all existing legislation, including The Wire Act of 1961 and the UIGEA. Its co-sponsors include Shelley Berkley (D-NV) and John Conyers (D-MI).
June 8:
The day after the introduction of the Skill Game Protection Act, Barney Frank’s H.R. 2046 is discussed in the House Financial Services Committee. Witnesses in attendance included Michael Colopy, Senior Vice President of Communications for Aristotle, Inc.; Pastor Greg Hogan; and Radley Balko, Senior Editor of Reason Magazine. It is the first of two Congressional hearings on the internet gambling issue in 2007.
July 4:
It’s Independence Day in the United States. The PocketFives.com Podcast featuring Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (D-NV) was released. Berkley spoke extensively about the introduction of H.R. 2140, the Internet Gambling Study Bill. It provides Congress with the proper education needed to legislate on the issue and is in stark contrast to the last-minute passage of the UIGEA in 2006.
July 9:
Alfonse D’Amato gives the “Shuffle Up and Deal” command on Day 1-D of the WSOP Main Event. PPA membership balloons to nearly 620,000.
August 1:
Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) joins the PocketFives.com Podcast to discuss the Skill Game Protection Act. Wexler sums up why the bill is important: “My bill essentially says that an adult in America can play a game of skill if he or she chooses and that the U.S. Government should not be in the business of deciding what games adults should be playing on the internet.”
August 22:
John Pappas becomes Executive Director of the PPA. The organization moves its headquarters from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. Michael Bolcerek stays in San Francisco to pursue other opportunities. Pappas had worked on the media and public relations arms as part of Dittus Communications.
September 7:
Having just moved cross-country, the PPA announced that its membership had just crossed 700,000. The stated goal of the PPA from Day One was to hit one million members. New Executive Director John Pappas claims that’s still priority number one: “The growth of the PPA is stellar and it’s a testament to the success we’ve shown so far. People really care about this issue and want to become involved in our organization. Michael Bolcerek set a goal of one million members and we’ll keep going until we hit that.”
September 26:
The Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association files suit to declare the UIGEA unconstitutional. A preliminary hearing was held in New Jersey and presided over by U.S. District Court Judge Mary L. Cooper. Although a preliminary ruling on whether iMEGA had appropriate standing to file suit was expected within 30 days, the decision is still up in the air.
October 22:
The PPA hosts the first ever Fly In Event in Washington. Bringing in nearly 100 concerned poker players from across the country, the PPA set up meetings between its members and their Congressmen to raise awareness of the online poker issue. The event received major national media attention.
November 14:
A hearing on internet gambling takes place in front of the House Judiciary Committee. Poker pro and PocketFiver Annie Duke spoke on behalf of the poker community. This is a major step for online gambling.
November 27:
PocketFives.com sits down with Steve Lipscomb, CEO of the World Poker Tour, to discuss the hiring of Andy Goetsch, formerly of CryptoLogic, as the new Vice President of Online Gaming for the WPT. Also, the WPT hires Rohin Malhotra, who used to work with PartyGaming, to help the WPT direct its television programming into new markets and new countries. The company launches WPT China featuring the game Traktor. The national championship will be held this year, as winners from a series of regional tournaments compete.
December 15:
PocketFives.com introduces the Poker Legislation forum. The new addition to the site will keep all members in the loop on anything and everything within the legislative realm. It’s overseen by Rich “TheEngineer” Muny. In addition, PPA membership explodes to 850,000. Though still short of one million members, the organization is well on its way.
December 20:
The Remote Gambling Association lodges an official complaint with the European Commission claiming discrimination by the United States, stemming from the U.S. settlement with the European Union.
December 21:
The WTO awards Antigua a $21 million settlement against the U.S. in trade benefits. The move will likely involve U.S. patent rights by companies like Microsoft and Disney.
It’s shaping up to be a roller coaster of a ride in 2008. Stay tuned to PocketFives.com for all the information on the legislative front.