Online Poker Lobby Protests Proposed Ban of online gaming09.20.2006Online Poker lobby protests proposed ban on online gaming. Poker Players Alliance President Michael Bolcerek came out against the ridiculous Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives in early July, and called it "short-sighted" and said it would only breed "unregulated online poker and casinos 'speak easys'" that do nothing to curb the underage and problem gambling targeted by the bill's sponsors. |
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Online Poker
Players Alliance stated that the bill will target
online poker
and online casinos and the
profitable online casinos and online poker industry is
reeling from the news. The future of online
casinos and online poker is up in the air, and the lobby
efforts aim to protect online casinos and
poker rooms from
this legislation are underway. online poker players allicance stated that "A more sensible approach is to license, regulate and tax this skill game here in the United States, much like we already do with 'brick and mortar' casinos and online poker rooms," Bolcerek said in a statement released Wednesday by the pro online casinos group, which describes itself as a grassroots organization representing 100,000 online casinos and online poker players and online casinos enthusiasts. A PPA-commissioned study estimates that Uncle Sam could rake in at least $3.3 billion per year from income taxes and fees tied to a regulated online casinos and online poker industry. 23 million Americans already play online poker on the Internet at online casinos, according to the lobby group. Various incarnations of online casinos gambling restrictions have been bouncing around Congress for years amid international skepticism about the online casinos subject. The House-approved bill would clarify that federal law prohibits processing financial transactions related to "unlawful" online casinos and online poker and would in some cases force Internet service providers to block access to offshore gambling sites. Democrats, a large number of whom voted against the measure, have criticized the approach as riddled with loopholes because it exempts wagers on horse races and lotteries. The field
hearing is scheduled to take place
Thursday afternoon in Cedar Rapids, Iowa,
the home state of Rep. Jim Leach, a
Republican congressman who co-sponsored the
bill with Republican Bob Goodlatte of
Virginia. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist,
who has endorsed the bill and exercises much
control over when it would go before the
Senate, is also on the planned attendance
list.
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