Online Poker Bill Hearing Held in US

July 23 - Professional poker player Annie Duke was among the many people who testified on Wednesday on behalf of Barney Frank's HR 2267 during a special hearing of the House Representatives Committee.

The bill, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act, is now set to advance to a mark up stage and will then be voted on by the committee in the near future.

It will then need to be approved by the full House in a majority vote, followed by a vote in the Senate by a majority, before being signed into law by President Barack Obama,

Those who testified included players such as Duke, the Chief Executive Officer of Discovery Federal Credit Union, representatives of the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut and representatives of the casino industry.

Speaking on behalf of the Poker Players Alliance, Annie Duke spoke about the need to provide online poker room players with personal freedom to play the game in the privacy of their own homes, without the intrusion of the government.

She pointed out that the UIGEA is ineffective in curbing online poker in the United States and said: "Today, any American with a broadband connection and a checking account can engage in any form of internet gambling in any state. As others will testify, the UIGEA regulations have forced US financial institutions to implement costly and burdensome compliance programs to almost no effect."

Duke said that Frank's bill would protect underage players and provides a safe and regulated environment for responsible adults to enjoy a game which they enjoy.

"For those whose religious or moral beliefs hold gaming as abhorrent, I fully support their right to live by those beliefs. I support their right to choose to not gamble," she said. "What I do not support, and what this Committee and this Congress should not tolerate, are laws that seek to prevent responsible adults from playing a game we find stimulating, challenging and entertaining."