Poker Alliance Against Federal Online Poker Ban

The Poker Players Alliance has expressed its dissatisfaction of the Chaffetz and Graham campaign to federally ban online poker with the use of the Wire Act. “These bills trample on the rights of states, but of greater concern is the fact that they will deny consumers any meaningful protections that can only be achieved through responsible state or federal regulation," according to an Alliance statement on Thursday. "Today, three states are safely and effectively regulating Internet poker. This misguided attempt at prohibition will turn back the clock in those states and destroy the opportunity for others to gain the economic and societal benefits of offering its citizens a safe and regulated place to play online.” John Pappas, executive director of the PPA, said: “We hope Senator Graham and Congressman Chaffetz and the other supporters of these bills will sideline any political motivations and choose to support what's in the best interest of American consumers by reconsidering these bills.” “For years, the PPA has fought to provide players with a safe and regulated environment to play poker online across the nation. These bills amount to a prohibition, plain and simple, and they deny the realities of today's online world. If enacted, they would only serve to expand an unregulated market that protects no one. "Instead, Congress should focus on corralling the unregulated marketplace and turning it into a system that is safe for consumers and accountable to regulators and our government,” said Pappas. “Online poker licensing and regulation is the only way to ensure consumers are protected with clear laws and strong enforcements, and poker players deserve this right.”