You might have noticed a new addition to PocketFives.com. You can find it on the left hand menu of the site, right next to the words you’re reading. It’s the Poker Legislation Forum and it’s the place to find all of the news and analysis of the online poker bills that will affect your life in the near future. Headed into 2008, it’s the main goal of the Poker Players Alliance to pass one of the pending pieces of legislation currently awaiting their turn in Congress. PocketFives.com is working hand in hand with the PPA to bring the latest from the legislative front to your fingertips.
PPA Executive Director John Pappas talks about what the forum means to his lobbying force: “It’s a good outlet for us. We believe that all poker players should become engaged politically. What better way to become involved than through forums. We appreciate that PocketFives.com has added the Poker Legislation forum.” The PPA has ballooned to 850,000 members, many of whom are PocketFivers who have stepped up to the plate to become involved politically.
What can you expect when you check out the Legislative Forum? Pappas hopes to enrich your mind: “I think it’s an opportunity to share news that people might not necessarily read in the mainstream press. It’s also a place for us to share insights as to how our lobbying efforts are going and to provide updates. We want to make sure that there’s enough information provided in the forums so that people who want to act on their own can go to Poker Legislation forum, get briefed up on the issues and talking points, and then go ahead and write or call a member themselves.” Right now, you can find a list of 16 Congressmen who submitted comments on the UIGEA regulations against the online poker cause, a discussion of why anyone would be against online poker in the first place, and a chance to win a full-sized PPA poker table.
At the forefront of the Poker Legislation forum is Rich Muny, known as TheEngineer. He’s been involved on the poker front independently for quite a while. Pappas explains how he became involved with the PPA: “He came to me after posting in various forums and writing letters to Congressmen and carbon-copying us on them. He’s bright, articulate, and passionate. This is the type of person we like to harness. I reached out to Rich and asked him to be on our Board of Directors. He represents the ‘Average Joe’ poker player. I thought it’d be a good way to broaden our Board and bring a passionate person into our inner circle. This is all voluntary for him. It’s all on his own time and volition. He and I discuss strategy and ideas regularly every week.”
PocketFives.com Co-Founder Adam Small talks about how the forum came to be: “We wanted to step up and create a forum where people could not only discuss legislation, but also hear regularly from those who are the best informed on these issues such as the Poker Players Alliance. A lot of this information is difficult for people to find on their own and we now have a central location where people can get their questions answered and also hear about current events that they might otherwise not have known about.” PocketFives has worked hand in hand with the PPA on several initiatives in the past, including the Phone March on Washington and Write Your Congressman Day when the UIGEA originally took shape.
One of the efforts you’ll see touted in the Poker Legislation forum in the near future is a 2008 voter registration campaign. With an election year looming, the PPA is out to mobilize its membership base to get out to the polls. Pappas comments, “The PPA will be rolling out a voter registration campaign in 10 to 20 key Presidential swing states. Part of our offering for 2008 is a congressional scorecard, so when people go into elections in 2008, they’ll know where the candidates stand on the online gaming issue.”
Small claims there are big things ahead that will make the newly-developed forum even better: “I expect there to be a lot of information there all the time and, in time, it will be the place where people know to look if they want up-to-date information on poker legislation. I expect people to be able to find more information in this forum than anywhere else on the net about the ongoing efforts to better the legal landscape for poker players everywhere.”
There’s a ton of information and debate in the Poker Legislation forum. You’d be amiss if you didn’t check it out. After all, it’s your future at stake. Visit the Poker Legislation forum today by clicking here.
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