2017 is shaping up to be an exciting year for the prospects of online poker as three states – Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania – are all taking steps to legalize online poker.

Meanwhile, a handful of other states, including California, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, are considering online gaming legislation, although they have not progressed as far as the others.

While talks are trending in the right direction in Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania, it’s far from settled that any of these three states will soon offer residents the chance to play legal online poker. No state has legalized online poker since 2013 and if legislators in one of these three states approve online poker legislation, they may just serve as an incentive for other states to follow suit. Then, that could potentially lead to more intrastate online poker opportunities.

All in all, it’s a critical time for the expansion of online poker. As these states inch toward legalizing online gaming, you could play an important role and make a difference in helping them cross the finish line. And it just may be easier than you would expect.

One of the most effective ways to ensure online poker legislation stays on track is to contact your local representative and express your support for online poker. This could be through a tweet, an email, or a phone call.

Here at PocketFives, we’ve made it easy for you to do just that.

Pennsylvania online poker players can use this link to find and contact your legislator while New Yorkers can find that information for their state right here.

By sending a short email or making a phone call to your representative to express your support for online gaming legislation, you can lend your voice to supporting the fight for legalizing online poker in just a couple of minutes.

Another avenue to support the fight for online poker is through the Daily Action Plan organized by thePoker Players Alliance. The PPA provides a message template and direct links to contact state and federal legislators regarding online poker legislation.

This simple act of reaching out to your representative can have a significant impact, according to Rich Muny, Vice President of Player Relations at the PPA.

While some people may believe politicians only listen to lobbyists, it’s much more complex than that.

“Lawmakers are bombarded from all sorts of lobbyists on this issue, but they need to know where the people, their constituents, stand,” Muny said.

In terms of the most effective way to communicate with your state representative, Muny said the answer could be different for everyone.

“I think everyone should try to visit their lawmaker, at least in their local office. It’s kind of easy to do,” he said, adding that if you can’t fit in a personal visit, a phone call is also very important.

Finally, the number one thing to include in any messaging to lawmakers is your support for online poker, but without presenting your viewpoint in an insulting way.

Another tip from Muny is to address a lawmaker depending upon their political party. For example, a Republican legislator may be more inclined to support online gaming if it’s framed as a state’s right issue, whereas a Democrat may be more interested in hearing about the topic from a consumer protection perspective.

Whether your representatives are Democrat or Republican, it’s important to reach out to them, as the collective voice of poker players may just be the tipping point in expanding online poker.

Please contact your state officials to support the legalization of online poker and be sure to check back to PocketFives to follow all of the developments from around the country in regards to online poker legislation.