Poker Articles

D’Amato summarizes his view of the UIGEA, which was attached to the Safe Port Act, last October: “As individuals, we like to make our own choices. One of the great things about being a U.S. citizen and living in this great democracy is that we have the right to make our own choices, particularly in our own homes. Why should wagering on poker be forbidden when it certainly involves the same skill level as betting on the lottery or picking a horse [both of which have carve outs under the Wire Act?] Why should Congress deprive people of the opportunity to participate in a game they enjoy using modern technology? It’s outrageous that the U.S. Congress is making its moral judgment on a game that does not threaten anyone.”

Regulation of the industry is a key component of the PPA’s stance: “There is a far better way to deal with some of the concerns legislators have regarding gambling and that is to regulate online poker. What we’ve done is force legitimate operators out of business and deprived people of the opportunity to see that online poker is a fair game by regulating it. It’s also going to cost taxpayers a tremendous amount of revenue to curtail this.”

As the main lobbying organization for online poker, the PPA has reiterated its desire to reach one million members and become a true lobbying force. D’Amato explains: “If people care about their rights, they have to band together. That’s what we’re attempting to do. We’ve set a goal to grow the membership of the PPA to one million people. We’re trying to form and galvanize an activist community that lets our members of Congress know that we think there is a better way to deal with some of the problems they are concerned with.” After all, it will be difficult for Congress to ignore the voices of one million of its constituents.

The PPA’s focus has been to enact a carve out for online poker: “To bring about a total revocation of the UIGEA will be much more difficult than getting a carve out. I believe that, as we approach various members of Congress, we’ll be able to make a case and have online poker available to people without it being stigmatized as being unlawful.” Moreover, “It’s a game that brings excitement and entertainment and there’s a skill level to it. Substantial revenues can be raised without even having to tax it. Don’t make this illegal, driving people underground and offshore in order to escape regulation. It could generate $3 billion easily that could be used for great causes.”

Perhaps the most important lesson that can be learned by those wanting to make a difference in the world of online poker is to let their voices be heard: “Write to your Congressmen and tell them that you’re a registered voter, that you’ve joined the PPA, and then ask why Congress would ban your right to participate in a game that many of their colleagues participate in. One of the things we want to do is grow this organization and then get members to contact their representatives to say that we don’t think it’s fair that our rights have been taken away.”

Membership to the PPA is completely free (unless, of course, you’d like to make a donation, in which case various membership levels are available). Just visit www.pokerplayersalliance.org to get involved. “This is the time to join and have your voice be heard. Show them that the little guy, each one of us, if we join together, can be a powerful force. Let’s use the Internet to communicate with our members of Congress as voters and as American citizens to say that we feel they’ve gone too far in this attempt to ban us from a sport that we have a right to participate in.”

The PocketFives.com Podcast featuring Alfonse D’Amato will be released on Thursday, March 29, 2007. Thank you to the Poker Players Alliance for coordinating this interview and to D’Amato for taking time out of his extremely hectic schedule to reach out to the PocketFives.com community.

Image taken from Wikipedia.