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In an era where technology reigns supreme, PocketFives.com (www.pocketfives.com), the voice of the online poker player, and the Poker Players Alliance teamed up to fight the pending internet gambling legislation the old-fashioned way: encouraging concerned citizens to pick up the telephone and voice their opinion. The PocketFives.com and Poker Players Alliance Phone March on Washington, a grassroots campaign designed to combat the current internet gambling legislation in Congress, generated over 3,000 calls by people from all over the country. The message: Do not ban online poker in the United States; regulate the great American pastime.

“We’re very excited that over 3,000 online poker players and internet gamblers came out in support of the Phone March on Washington,” said PocketFives.com President Cal Spears. “The threat to online poker is real. We hope our Senators heard our message loud and clear today: Do not ban online poker in the United States.” The bill in question, H.R. 4411, passed the House of Representatives by an overwhelming margin, 317-93, in July. The Senate then went on recess and resumed session just after Labor Day. “Calling elected officials’ offices shows a great amount of courage and passion for our cause,” said Spears. A spokesperson for Senator Mel Martinez’s (R-FL) office agreed: If you call, "we will take you seriously."

PocketFives.com would like to recognize several groups that helped to make the day a success. NeverWinPoker.com allowed PocketFives.com Marketing Director Dan Cypra to appear on the site’s radio show Saturday night, September 9. WickedChopsPoker.com urged its members to participate in the Phone March in Washington; CardPlayer Magazine did the same. Online poker sites also helped PocketFives.com and the Poker Players Alliance reach members: FullTilt, Doyles Room, Bodog, and PokerStars were heavily involved in the effort. “The unity of the online poker groups really shows how far our industry has come,” says Spears. “We appreciate everyone’s involvement.”

The Phone March on Washington was resoundingly noticed by Congressional offices. A representative from Senator Dick Durbin’s (D-IL) office claimed that the staff had been receiving calls “once every few minutes.” The same was true at Senator Edward Kennedy’s (D-MA) headquarters: “We have received a steady stream of calls all day today.” At Senator Charles Schumer’s (D-NY) office, a spokesperson said they had received “a significant number of calls on the issue.” A staffer at Senator Bill Frist’s (R-TN) offices claimed, “The Senator has not come out with a public statement on the issue. We have been working on developing a written response to today’s calls, but do not have anything right now.”

Senator Dianne Feinstein’s (D-CA) position on the issue echoed that of the callers today: “The Senator is not in favor of a ban. She favors regulation in order to prevent children from gambling,” said a representative. Online poker players nationwide can say they have done as much as possible to prevent such a ban from occurring. Now, they must wait and see how loudly their voices have been heard. “I think we sent a message today,” said Spears. “PocketFives.com will continue to be a leader in legislative initiatives and once again thank you to everyone who made the Phone March on Washington a success. Visit www.pocketfives.com for all the updates on H.R. 4411."