U.S. Senator Introduces Internet Poker Bill, S. 3616

The PPA is pleased to inform its more than 1 million members that U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (NJ-D) has introduced S. 3616, the Internet Skill Game Licensing and Control Act of 2008.

This exceptional piece of legislation will establish licensed Internet poker in the U.S. and provide American consumers with the vast benefits of a clear regulatory system. The bill is the first of its kind to focus primarily on your favorite pastime. S. 3616, is landmark legislation for the poker community and sets the stage for the next Congress and new Administration to enact sound public policy in the area of Internet poker.

Today, the PPA issued a press release in support of the bill. And we are encouraging everyone to send an note to Senator Menendez to thank him for introducing this bill. You can do this by going to the Senator’s "Contact Me" page on his official Senate Website.

Tell the Senator:

•Thank you for introducing S. 3616, the Internet Skill Game Licensing and Control Act
•As a poker player and a voter, it is important to me that our government takes steps to regulate Internet poker in the U.S.
•Regulation will provide necessary safeguards to protect adult consumers, children and problem gamblers. Moreover, significant federal and state revenue can be gained through a U.S. regulated industry.
•S. 3616 is a positive development and the poker community applauds you for introducing it.

Barney Frank’s HR 6870 passes Committee vote

Article via We Do It All Vegas:

Since the implementation of the UIGEA in 2006, Congressman Barney Frank has done what ever is possible to stop the progress of the enforcement bill and to clarify its specific purpose by arguing that U.S government should not have the right to determine how the American citizens invest their time and money.

Yesterday, Congressman Frank introduced a proposed bill (HR 6870 or Payments System Protection Act) in its effort to amend the problems and confusion caused by the UIGEA and its and to give financial institutions a detailed definition of what is and is not considered an illegal online gambling activity.

When the bill was introduced to the committee yesterday, Representative William Lacy Clay criticized the arguments of several professional sports leagues, saying: “I’m alarmed that major league sports would come forward to announce their opposition to the Bill. I’m puzzled by their stance especially when you have legal sports books in Las Vegas. I can’t figure out what the difference is between Internet gambling and Las Vegas sports books.”

The good news is that Frank’s bill has been approved today by the House Committee on Financial Services and would push the Department of the Treasury and Federal Reserve System, in consultation with the Attorney General and a special Administrative Law Judge to classify and determine what really constitutes “unlawful online gambling” and initiate an economic a deep research and study on the fulfillment costs of the prohibition.

The enactment of the bill would delay the execution of the UIGEA through a process calculated to guarantee that the UIGEA regulations do not harm the operations of the U.S. payments system or wrongly prevent transactions considered legal.

The Committee also voted an amendment to a bill in where federal regulators are obligated to issue regulations to financial institutions to block transfers and transactions related to online sportsbetting and other gambling activities including online poker and casinos, with the exception of horse racing, dog racing and jai-alai. According to the new amendment, unlawful gambling operators would be specified by the U.S. Treasury on a list that would be check and revised by financial institutions to execute the prohibition.

Support Online Poker

The federal elections in the United States are less than 45 days away. This is the time, once every four years, when elected officials actually listen to voters. If you are a poker player and you want the right to play poker online, then you need to take two minutes to go to the Poker Player Alliance website and fill out this form, which will be sent to your Congress person and both of your Senators. This is a new legislative notice, if you have written in the past, please do it again today. Might I suggest that you add a line or two at the beginning of the pre-packaged message. Here is what I (Cranky Olde Coot from Pokerblog.com)wrote:

"This year, I am a single issue voter. You either fully support my right to play poker online or you are against me. No half-ass political double-speak. If you fully support the right of all Americans to do with their money and time whatever they see fit, then you have my vote. If you don't, then your opponent gets my vote. I wanted to keep it simple, so you understand. You are for us or against us and my vote will reflect your position. If I do not hear from you before the election or if you send some non-committal bullshit about further studies, I am voting for the other guy. I hope we are clear on this issue."

More US of A Poker Communism!

Ky. governor seeking to block online gambling

Wow, is this the United States or commmunist China? And this by a Democratic "pro-poker" Gov! Unreal!

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) _ Kentucky's pro-gambling governor is looking to make sure all bets are off for more than 140 online gambling Web sites that operate in the state known for the world's biggest horse race.

Gov. Steve Beshear said his administration has asked a Franklin County Circuit Court judge to give the state control of 141 gambling Web site domain names. Beshear said he's looking to restrict Kentuckians' access to Web sites with names that include some of the most popular gambling sites for U.S. players: bodoglife.com, doylesroom.com and fulltiltpoker.com.

A hearing is scheduled for Thursday before Judge Thomas Wingate.

Beshear believes Kentucky is the first in the country to attempt to block online gambling by taking over Web domain names of gambling sites.

"Unlike casinos that operate on land or on riverboats in the United States, these operations pay no tax revenues, provide no jobs and yield no tourism benefits," Beshear said at a Monday afternoon Capitol press conference. "They are leeches on our communities."

Kentucky, home to the Kentucky Derby, already has a state lottery and allows gambling at horse tracks and bingo halls. Blocking internet gambling sites in Kentucky would "protect the signature industry," Beshear said.

Such sites "siphon off money from regulated and legal games such as Kentucky's thoroughbred racing industry, our lottery and charitable gaming activities," Beshear said.

Although Kentucky officials did not have a definite estimate of how much money is being lost to online gambling in Kentucky, Beshear claimed residents were wagering millions online.

Justice Secretary J. Michael Brown said the state is asking the court to forfeit control of the domain names to Kentucky state government. Brown said if successful, the domain names would then controlled by Kentucky state government and subsequently blocked.

"There is gambling going on on the Internet and we know that that gambling is illegal in the commonwealth of Kentucky," Brown said.

Beshear, a Democrat, largely based his campaign for governor last year on a pledge to push for an amendment to the state constitution legalizing casino gambling in Kentucky. Beshear was unable to persuade Kentucky lawmakers earlier this year to put a proposed gambling amendment on the ballot this fall.

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