Morning coffee and online gambling laws

The coffee is great – there’s a hike in the offing – the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Law is a little hard to swallow right now. There’s so much going on in the thoughts, words, news, of people that play poker online, that it’s a little difficult to even begin to fathom that we are outlaws or criminals because we play poker. I just read Poker Permbulation and Ken P. has a great idea and approach to voicing our concerns to our government…so get with it! JUST DO IT!

This email in from the Poker Player’s Alliance:

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT:
Make Poker’s Voice Heard On Election Day

As members of Congress return to Washington, the Poker Players Alliance will be working to achieve a “skill game” exemption for poker under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. To achieve this goal, the Poker Players Alliance needs your help on Election Day in order to protect this great American tradition.

Tuesday, November 7 is Election Day and the PPA is encouraging all of our members to vote. Voting is one of the most fundamental rights and responsibilities we have as U.S. citizens. Every vote from a PPA member or poker friend is vitally important. Election Day is when we will show our voting power.

For your reference, the PPA lists how your lawmakers voted on H.R. 4411, the poker prohibition bill, and who sponsored the H.R. 5474, a bill supported by the PPA that commissions a study on regulating online gambling. For these lists and more information go to our Poker Vote Headquarters.

Your vote counts. Encourage your fellow poker players to vote. We must support candidates who will preserve poker and encourage them to join us as champions for this cause.

Sincerely,
Michael Bolcerek
President
Poker Players Alliance

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This is also part of the email from the Poker Player’s Alliance:

Over 30 of the World’s Top Poker Pros Urge Fellow Players to Fight for Poker and Join the PPA

Doyle Brunson, Mike Sexton, Phil Gordon, Scotty Nguyen, T.J. Cloutier and 30 other top poker pros have signed a letter urging all poker players to “make a stand and protect the game we love” by joining the PPA and spreading the work about the organization to all fellow players. Only when the PPA is backed by hundreds of thousands of members will Washington realize that poker is America’s game and to exempt it from the ban on Internet gambling.

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Amazing as it all is – and bordering on insane stupidity, a panel from 32 countries recently met to form a set of prinicples for internet gaming – the US was invited but did not attend. See…as US citizens, we have no choice in this matter. The rest of the world is involved in trying to solve problems and laws that pertain to internet gambling, but we, the land of the free, are just plain flat fucked. We have no choice. GET IN GEAR PEOPLE! Make a noise, every chance you get, in every platform, to all of your friends, neighbors, kids, and the local neighborhood.

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Lately I’ve been cruising FullTilt and watching late night action between Gus Hansen, Mike Matusow, and a few others jam it up on $500-1,000 Omaha 8 or Better. And I play poker on FullTilt and Tony G. and PokerStars and Absolute and UB and I’m not a criminal, I’m a hard working, law abiding granny. I hate this UGIEA crap.

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Now that I’ve choked down the gaming law crap – or spit it out of my throat – I feel better. I’m off on a hike with one of my boys. Later!