Trip To Capitol Hill Looks To Be a Success For Alliance
Many of the 100 Poker Players' Alliance members who stormed Capitol Hill were celebrities on the international poker circuit.
"By all accounts the Washington fly in and policy conference was a huge success, and we made a significant impression on Congress and the media," stated PPA's executive director John Pappas.
"We were armed with the message that poker is a game of skill which should be regulated, not prohibited - and we successfully delivered that message," Pappas continued. "Several of our meetings resulted in commitments of support and co-sponsorship of H.R. 2046 and H.R. 2610."
The group made sure that there points were heard and there were many of them. Some of the issues discussed and laid out before everyone in hearing range was the fact that billions in potential tax revenue is being lost from online poker due to the UIGEA and that there can be regulations set in place to protect our minors from gaining access to these sites along with services being given to those who need help with gambling problems.
And those are just a few of the issues pointed out. This can be done and done in a civil manner making everyone a winner.
"It was awesome," said Pappas. "Even better, eight members of Congress attended the reception, including Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, to show their support for the PPA. I have worked in Washington for a long time, and I can tell you how difficult it is to get members of Congress to show up to these types of events. It is a testament to the many hours the PPA has spend building our credibility with lawmakers."
I hope, as many others do, that this is the first step in the turnaround for the U.S. regarding this ban on online poker playing. I hope that more good news is set to follow this.