November 7th, 2012
By Poker Players Alliance
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Weekly Update from Rich Muny, VP of Player Relations
Election Day has finally come and gone, but our political effort is ramping up. That’s because the online poker bill is getting teed up for potential action in Congress!
The bipartisan online poker bill (read here) will potentially see introduction this month, in what is known as the lame duck session of Congress. With the distractions of the election over, this is a great time for the poker community to ensure our voices are heard.
Let’s all take advantage of this by reaching out to our lawmakers today via the PPA fully editable prewritten letters to lawmakers! It has been a full month since my last request for you to send these, so please go ahead and send them again. Simply click the buttons below (or here). In less than thirty seconds, you can send these emails directly to the inboxes of all your elected federal and state representatives.
Can I count on you to do your part?
The Election, PokerPAC and You
This week’s elections proved to be significant for the poker community. 95 percent of the PPA’s “A” rated members of Congress who were up for reelection are returning to Congress. Additionally PokerPAC, PPA’s political action committee, endorsed 56 candidates, 53 of whom won reelection. This is a very good outcome for the poker community and bodes well for the future of our efforts. Also of note is the fact that three members of Congress who were “F” rated by the PPA — Brian Bilbray, Mike Pence and Cliff Stearns — will not be returning to Congress in 2013.
At the state level, PPA scored a major victory for poker in Maryland through our endorsement and activism in support of Question 7, a ballot initiative that will bring card rooms and a new destination casino to Maryland. PPA’s grassroots activity in that state was critical in passing this closely contested ballot measure. We also worked with WSOP™ Champion Greg Merson, a Maryland native, to amplify his terrific advocacy for Question 7. While there were a number of forces at play, we can earnestly say that poker players did a major part in providing the margin of victory for this player friendly initiative in Maryland.
While the PPA did not endorse a presidential candidate, it is viewed by industry analysts and Washington lobbyists that the Obama administration may more favorable to licensing and regulation of Internet poker than would have a Romney administration. This is largely because, while the Obama administration has been largely neutral on the issue of online poker, both Gov. Romney and the 2012 Republican Party Platform stood opposed to online poker. We are hopeful that the pieces are in place for a real effort to get a bill done during the “lame duck” session of Congress that will begin later this month. Harry Reid, an advocate for Internet poker, remains the leader of the U.S. Senate and Dean Heller, a Republican senator who is an ardent support of our rights to play, won reelection and will be an important voice during the coming weeks.
We can’t just hope for success, though. As a community, we need to stand up for our rights and advocate for this common sense legislation. Start with sending your emails to Obama and Congress, participating in the Daily Action Plan, and staying tuned as we ask you to turn up the grassroots over the next several weeks!
Shuffling the 2012 U.S. Online Poker Survey
Did you know?
According to U.S. Poker Survey:
63% of respondents in the treasured swing state of Ohio stated they would consider voting against their registered party candidate IFthe other Presidential candidate supported licensing and regulating online poker for the U.S. while 25% would remain undecided.
Just a mere 12% paneled stated they would not make a change regardless of their candidate’s stance on legalizing and regulating online poker. Regarding Ohio, a huge electoral state that regularly decides the Presidential election, would it not have been wise for both President Obama and Governor Romney to try capturing these votes with a simple statement supporting online poker?
Interviews
Upcoming Appearances:
- The Poker Advocacy with Rich Muny webcast on OnTilt Radio airs live Monday, at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT (listen live here). You can follow the program on Facebook at facebook.com/PokerAdvocacy, and on Twitter at @PokerAdvocacy. The show site is ontiltradio.com/ppa.
- Webcast: “PPA Weekly Update” airs live each week at 6:45 pm ET/3:45 pm PT on Fifth Street Radio (listen live here).
Recent Appearances:
- OnTilt Radio: “Poker Advocacy with Rich Muny.” I was joined by Libertarian Party Vice Presidential nominee Judge Jim Gray, followed by a post-interview wrap-up with 2004 WSOP Champion & PPA Board Member Greg Raymer! (11/5) (listen here or on iTunes here).
- Fifth Street Radio: I sat down with Mark Hoke for a great discussion. (11/4) (I come on at time point 0:45:28 of Part 1…listen here).
- OnTilt Radio: “Poker Advocacy with Rich Muny.” I was joined by OnTilt Radio CEO & PPA CO State Director Robin Jones (10/29) (listen here or on iTunes here).
- 2guystalkingpoker.com: I sat down with Vic Porcelli for a great discussion. (10/28) (listen here or on iTunes here).
Interview Archives:
- Poker Advocacy with Rich Muny: show site, show archive, free iTunes download
- Fifth Street Radio PPA Weekly Update: site archive, free iTunes download
- Short Stacked Radio — prior PPA Weekly Updates: site archive
Thank you for your continued support!
Proud to play,
Rich Muny
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The Poker Players AllianceDedicated to Protecting America’s Favorite Card Game The Poker Players Alliance is a nonprofit membership organization comprised of poker players and enthusiasts from around the United States who have joined together to speak with one voice to promote the game and to protect poker players’ rights. Visit us at theppa.org
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