October 4 - After the U.S. Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling
Enforcement Act last week, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) has asked its supporters
to continue the fight to legalize online poker.
The anti-online gambling legislation prohibits Americans from using U.S. banks
and financial institutions to deposit and withdraw funds from online gambling
sites.
In a letter, PPA president Michael Bolcerek openly encouraged online poker
players to fight for the game's right to be separated from other forms of online
gambling targeted in the legislation.
He said, 'Poker is a game of skill, where performance is merited, and a
community game, where the house is not your competition. These are real and
significant differences and it is our desire to see online poker exempt from the
legislation, as lotteries, fantasy sports and horseracing have been.'
Bolcerek went on to say that the prohibition of online poker would only succeed
in driving the game underground and encourage a feeling of distrust and
misunderstanding amongst the 70 million odd Americans who enjoy online poker.
'The PPA's most immediate short-term goal is to continue to push forward to
obtain this separate treatment when Congress comes back from the elections and
into the next legislative session,' explained Bolcerek.
