Last week, PocketFives brought you an article about a hearing scheduled for March 5in the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations to discuss a bill from Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) that would ban internet gambling in the US. The bill, called Restoring America’s Wire Act, reportedly comes at the behest of Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson.

While the hearing has yet to be posted on the Subcommittee’s website and no witness list has been leaked, the Poker Players Alliance, the main lobbying voice for poker players on Capitol Hill in the US, is already in high gear.

“Many people don’t realize just how close RAWA was to becoming law during the 2014 lame duck session,” PPA Vice President Rich TheEngineerMuny (pictured above) told PocketFives. “This is a real threat. For some issues, it may pay to keep it out there dangling, but that’s not true with Adelson. He donates, and donates regularly. The way to appease him is to give him what he wants, RAWA being passed into law.”

The poker community appears well-organized this time around, and for good reason. Whereas recent hearings have focused on regulating internet gambling, the one on March 5 will be about prohibiting it, including in the three states where it’s already legal and regulated: New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware.

Muny and company will be keeping close tabs on lawmakers who support Chaffetz’s legislation. “Lawmakers who thought no one would notice their support for Adelson’s (pictured) bill quickly learned otherwise,” Muny explained. “In fact, of the 14 cosponsors of the 2014 House bill who are still in the House, just seven have cosponsored this year thus far, and no new cosponsors came on this year.”

Additionally, opponents of Adelson’s legislation have been lining up. The list includes former Congressman and Presidential candidate Ron Paul, Campaign for Liberty, Americans for Tax Reform, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Fraternal Order of Police, and many others. “We are actively publicizing this as anti-Tenth Amendment, crony capitalism, anti-internet freedom, and anti-consumer, and are getting good traction,” Muny observed.

The PPA rep concluded by saying, “Make no mistake, Adelson won’t just lose for no reason. We can claim victory if we all join together and stand up for the game, but it will be a hard-won victory. It won’t just happen.”

Stay tuned to PocketFives for the latest poker legislation news.

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