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Weekly Update from Rich Muny, VP of Player Relations
On Wednesday, with the strong backing of Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson, Utah GOP Congressman Jason Chaffetz reintroduced his bill to shut down state-authorized online poker throughout America. Interestingly, while he may give lip service to issues of offshore operators, his legislation — HR 707, the so-called “Restoration of America’s Wire Act” — is targeted squarely at licensed operators in the U.S.
Last year’s House bill had 19 cosponsors. This bill hits the starting blocks with just seven: six Republicans and one Democrat. Many poker players and enthusiasts have told their elected representatives not to back this bill, and lawmakers are listening. Some backed off solely from that. Others were partially convinced by their constituents’ opposition to RAWA and ultimately convinced by the strong opposition from groups like Campaign for Liberty, Americans for Tax Reform and Competitive Enterprise Institute. And, some former supporters of RAWA who also support limited government finally saw the hypocrisy and inconsistency in claiming to back both.
I encourage you to take a moment to read the PPA press release. From the release:
Every Congress to consider Internet gaming legislation has preserved the right of states to protect its citizens through a system that is accountable to regulators and the government,” said John Pappas, executive director of the PPA. “Attempting to re-write history through a piece of legislation that prohibits states from enacting these safeguards represents the worst kind of crony capitalism that favors a mega political campaign donor over what’s in the best interest of the states and their consumers.
This will be a very tough fight, but we can wage a very effective push for our rights if we all stick together. We need all hands on deck for all of 2015. Can I count on you?
Take Action
PPA has created a Take Action page, giving you simple, effective tools to advocate for poker. You can send the new PPA prewritten letter to your elected representatives, tweet key lawmakers, and take other important actions. Please take just a few moments to tell your lawmakers to support online poker licensing and to reject calls for nationwide prohibition.
Webcast: Poker Advocacy with Rich Muny
On this week’s Poker Advocacy with Rich Muny webcast, poker histories, writer, and player Johnny Hughes joined me live with tales of the Wild West & poker.
We discussed history, psychology, etiquette, the Old Days, the Old West, and colorful gamblers like Minnesota Fats, Benny Binion, Amarillo Slim, Doyle Brunson, Wyatt Earp, and Bat Masterson. You won’t want to miss this!
- Directly downloadable MP3 file (right click to save, left click to listen)
- Free iTunes download
Poker Advocacy with Rich Muny airs live Mondays at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on OnTilt Radio. Each show features great guests and the best discussion on poker legislation. Please be sure to tune in every Monday evening at www.ontiltradio.com.
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Thank you for your continued support!
The PPA wishes to keep active members like yourself updated on the latest poker advocacy news by periodically sending out select events and headlines. We hope you find it informative and thank you for your continuing support.
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