On Thursday, the Poker Players Alliance, the primary lobbying voice for poker players in the US, called legislation from Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) “misguided” and launched a national call to action campaign to encourage Americans to fight back. The organization has launched a detailed, informative web page allowing players to e-mail, meet, and call their lawmakers as well as send Tweets to Congress.

PPA Executive Director John Pappas commented in a press release, “We have learned time and time again throughout history that prohibition is not the solution for protecting consumersand actually does more harm than good. We cannot stand by and allow for misguided legislation to reverse the incredible advancements we have made in consumer and player protections and the ability of the individual states to determine whether to regulate online poker.”

The legislation from Graham and Chaffetz seeks to ban all forms of online gambling except betting on the ponies, which received a carve-out. Both lawmakers have declined interview requests from PocketFives and the legislation seems to have come at the behest, at least in part, of billionaire Sheldon Adelson. The latter is the CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation and has pledged to spend “whatever it takes” to eradicate online gambling from the face of the Earth.

Pappas added that the PPA is not alone in its fight against Chaffetz, Graham, Adelson, and others including Florida Governor Rick Scott (pictured), all of whom have come out in favor of an internet gambling ban: “The National Conference of State Legislatures and the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries also recently expressed their opposition to these efforts on the grounds that they would undermine states’ authority. I encourage all Americans who oppose a ban on our online freedoms to join us in reaching out to your member of Congress and letting them know you do not support these bills.”

From April 11 to 27, lawmakers will return home from Capitol Hill to their districts, giving PPA members and Americans alike a chance to voice their displeasure with the proposed ban in person. As such, on its website, the PPA has outlined how to set up a meeting with an elected official and posted leave-behinds for meetings.

Chaffetz’s legislation is numbered HR 4301 and features Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Jim Matheson (D-UT), Lamar Smith (R-TX), Jim Jordan (R-OH), Trent Franks (R-AZ), George Holding (R-NC), Frank Wolf (R-VA), James Lankford (R-OK), and Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) as co-sponsors. Chaffetz is pictured.

Graham’s legislation is numbered S 2159 and Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) co-sponsor it. Importantly, the bills as written would shut down the legal and regulated online poker sites in New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware.

Stay tuned to PocketFives for the latest poker legislation news.

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