Prominent Las Vegas-based gaming attorney Anthony Cabot has voiced strong support that the Poker Players Alliance (the “PPA”) is the one broad grass roots organization that will best represent U.S. online poker players’ interests with regard to Federal legislation. He also noted that PPA dues go directly to fight the fight.

On their website at www.theppa.org, the PPA states it aims to overturn, or at least get online poker exempted from, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) that Congress passed last October in an attempt to block online gambling by making it illegal for financial institutions to handle transactions between online gambling sites and US residents.

Cabot posted a memorandum in the forum of major poker information portal 2+2 this week. In it he urges players to join the PPA so their voices will be heard in government.

“If poker players want to regain their rights, they need to ban and act together,” stressed Cabot. “Congress will not act to protect your rights unless they think by not doing so it may impact their ability to get reelected.”

“I know of no other organization other than the PPA that has the capability of uniting the poker world in this cause,” he continued.

The PPA has a goal of having a million members; a number it thinks will make politicians take note of the voting power the PPA represents.

“..the PPA needs a million members to begin to have such an impact,” Cabot surmised.

A large part of Cabot’s post highlights the impact PPA already has had.

“Several reporters, including David Broder of the Washington Post, who is considered the Dean of the Washington Press Corps, gave partial credit to the PPA for the defeat of Rep. Jim Leach (R-IA) in last November’s elections,” he noted.

Cabot points out that since 2005, the PPA has retained the highly effective lobbyist group the Federalist Group, a subsidiary of Ogilvy Public Relations, to represent the organization in Washington. The Federalist Group was rated by National Journal as one the Top 10 lobbying firms in Washington. It’s the same lobbyist group that represents the influential National Rifle Association (NRA).

“In retaining The Federalists and in its other work in Washington,” says Cabot, “the PPA has expended substantial time, effort and financial resources in protecting the legality of the American game of poker.”

Another effort of the PPA, Cabot noted, has been to educate Congress that poker is a game of considerable skill and to make the case that online poker should not be banned. The PPA sponsored the visit of WSOP Champions Howard Lederer, Greg Raymer, and Chris Ferguson to Washington to meet with various legislators, journalists and bloggers to make that case, figuring it would have most impact coming from some of the most skilled players in the world.

On their website, PPA president Michael Bolcerek credits Linda Johnson as being the inspiration behind the PPA. Cabot was the one who then set up the organization. So Cabot has been familiar with the PPA from its beginnings, when Linda Johnson served as its first Chairwoman.

Cabot also highlights the excellent PPA Board of Directors that includes poker enthusiasts: Linda Johnson, Jan Fischer, Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer, Greg Raymer and Greg Dinkin. The most recent addition is the new chairman of the Board and another poker enthusiast, three term U.S. Senator from New York, Alphonse D’Amato.

Poker Player Alliance Cabot ended his post by remarking, “I think the PPA deserves the support of the poker world.”

Visit the PPA website for information and to join, at www.theppa.org. There you can learn about the poker laws in your state. You will also find the resources and tools to directly contact your federal, state, and local elected representatives so that you can help deliver positive messages about the game and why it should be protected.

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