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Poker Players Alliance Forums » State - AZ

1. Steven Yeager
   Member
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   Not sure if you are all aware, but Representative Pete Sessions introduced H.R. 6663 on 8/1/08, with the intent of clarifying the UIEGA. Because of the congressional recess, no discussion on the bill will occur until September.

   The official PPA stance is to oppose this bill. See: /press-releases/2008/08/02/press-release-statement-by-ppa-chairman-damato-on-introduction-of-hr-6663/

   I will put together a short letter of opposition in the near future that we should send to our congressional representatives prior to September.

   Posted 1 year ago #

2. Charles Marshall
   State Director & Moderator
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   That just baffles me that bill is digression. I wonder why he...anyways lets definitely not settle for this garbage.

   Posted 1 year ago #

3. Steven Yeager
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   Hello everybody. Sorry this took longer than expected, but here is the letter that I put together to send to my representative. It is largely adapted from Chairman D'Amato's Statement issued on August 1, 2008. Please consider writing or e-mailing your representative something similar.

   *******

   August 18, 2008

   Re: Online Poker (Oppose H.R. 6663)

   Dear Representative Pastor,

   I write to you as the Arizona State Director for the Poker Players Alliance (www.theppa.org), a rapidly growing nonprofit organization comprised of poker players and enthusiasts from around the United States who seek to promote the game of poker, ensure its integrity, and protect the rights of poker players nationwide. I write to ask you to oppose H.R. 6663 because it incorrectly implies that the Internet Gambling and Regulation Enforcement Act (“UIGEA”) has made internet poker an unlawful activity that needs special protection from prosecution.

   Previous federal caselaw (In re Mastercard) clarified that existing federal criminal law (WIRE Act of 1961) applied only to internet sports wagering, not to Internet poker. Further, the UIGEA itself states that “[n]o provision of this subchapter shall be construed as altering, limiting, or extending any Federal or State law.” Thus, H.R. 6663 only unnecessarily confuses this matter.

   American poker players and American financial institutions were not well served by the ambiguity and unclear nature of the UIGEA passed two years ago, but H.R. 6663 does nothing to clarify the UIGEA. At this critical time for one of America’s great pastimes, it is unfortunate that H.R. 6663 only seeks to add to the existing confusion and contradicts it own rule of construction by implying in its findings that the sites on which millions of Americans currently play poker are violating federal law.

   I continue to urge you to support other bills that recognize poker as a game of skill and seek to preserve the right of adults to enjoy poker on the Internet, such as H.R. 2610 and H.R. 2046.

   Very truly yours,

   Steven J. Yeager
   PPA Arizona State Director

   Posted 1 year ago #

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