On Wednesday night, the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) were finalized. The new regulations will be implemented on January 19, 2009 as part of the Bush Administration’s “midnight rulemaking.” Today, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), which is the main lobbying group for the online poker industry, called on its members as well as concerned individuals around the country to act.
The PPA has over 1.2 million members. There are four actions that the organization is urging its members to take. The first is to call members of Congress expressing displeasure with last-minute rulemaking. Players who call Congressional members or their staff members are encouraged to say that they are a constituent, voter, and poker player, and that they are “outraged that the lame duck administration has finalized the UIGEA regulations which will add additional burdens on our already troubled banking sector.” The PPA is also encouraging its members to request that Congressmen support any effort by incoming President Barack Obama to rescind the regulations.
The PPA is also encouraging its members to e-mail Obama’s Transition Team and say that the regulations were “reckless in that they place unreasonable requirements on our nation’s imperiled financial services industry. Bush was reckless in forcing them on the country in his 11th hour. You should introduce legislation to overturn them.” In addition, support for bills like the ones proposed by Barney Frank, Robert Wexler, and Robert Menendez is also desired. Visit the full talking points by checking out the PPA website at PokerPlayersAlliance.org.
In addition, the PPA is using the setback to call for non-members to sign up and call for existing PPA members to contribute money to the cause; suggested donations range from $10 (an Ante contribution) to $500 (an All-In contribution). Free memberships to the PPA are also available. For $20, a Premium Membership allows players to utilize discounts offered at 600 participating merchants through PPA Advantages. In addition, a Premium Membership allows access to the PPA’s Litigation Network of legal counsel, a card protector, and a window decal. Paying members can also donate to the PokerPAC, which is the online poker lobbying group’s political action committee. Members are also encouraged to tell a friend so that as many people as possible are in the know.
An e-mail distributed by PPA Chairman Alfonse D’Amato to the organization’s members stated, “I am sure that you share my outrage over this last-minute ‘midnight rulemaking,’ but I have not lost my drive to correct this injustice and I call on you to join me and the million strong PPA to help continue our fight.” D’Amato is a former three term Senator from New York. Other members of the PPA’s Board of Directors include PPA President John Pappas, Greg Dinkin, Full Tilt Poker pro Chris Ferguson, Jan Fisher, Allyn Jaffrey Shulman, Poker News Daily columnist Linda Johnson, Howard Lederer, Mary Magazine, and Rich Muny.
The PPA has also kept a close eye on the latest developments in Kentucky, where a three judge Appeals Court panel is scheduled to meet on November 18th, which is next Tuesday, to discuss whether to intervene in a case involving the seizure and potential forfeiture of 141 internet gambling domain names. That case is also being spearheaded by the Interactive Gaming Council (IGC) and Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA). Domain names belonging to online poker sites such as Ultimate Bet and PokerStars would be inaccessible by customers around the world if the lawsuit were successful.