Poker Players Alliance fight unfair US internet gaming law

Mirroring the current protests that UK bingo players are making in response to what is believed to be the unfair treatment of the bingo industry, the Poker Players Alliance in the U.S. is also campaigning to change the current online Poker and gambling laws in the States. The Poker Players Alliance has started an online petition addressed to President Obama to try to pressurise the United States government into changing what they consider to be the criminalisation of online poker, with the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement act has made it illegal for poker players based in the United States to participate in online poker without breaking the current law, the illegality of which is in complete contrast to most of the poker playing public’s belief that the game of both poker in its traditional form and online poker is a game of skill. It has been reported that the World Series of Poker has been used as a vehicle to further promote the legalisation of the online poker cause using both the poker players present and the media attention to help with gaining further exposure for the campaign.

The petition which currently stands at 254,830 at time of writing makes the statement addressed to the President stating ‘I am a voter and a fellow poker player asking for your support of my right to play games of skill like poker on the Internet.’ It goes on to say ‘What's most important to me is your support for my rights. Please: 1) exempt poker from the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and 2) license and regulate internet poker in the US. 3) Respect the rights of law-abiding Americans who love to play this great game of skill.’

If Goldman Sachs are correct however then the online petition will most likely prove to be totally unnecessary. Goldman Sachs believe that the U.S. Government will eventually legalise online poker and gambling as a means to get their hands on tax revenue that would be generated from what they anticipate to be $12 billion industry.