Perry Green, known by some as “Alaska's Poker Guru," is pushing once again to legalize for-profit poker games in the state. Earlier this week, Green sung poker's praises to the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, calling the game a world-wide phenomenon and a potential moneymaker for Alaska's oil-dependent economy. He is currently gathering signatures in the hopes of proposing a bill to legalize poker games, saying that he was close to reaching the necessary quota.

Green's current effort comes on the heels of a number of previous efforts, none of which fared so well. Last year, Green backed a bill that would have set up a state gaming commission with the authority to license a casino in Anchorage. The State House passed the bill, but the Senate failed to. In another initiative earlier this year, Green enlisted Rep. Pete Kott, R-Eagle River, and Sen. John Cowdery, R-Anchorage to back legislation authorizing real-money card games such as poker and cribbage. Once again, the House passed the bill, but it then became stalled indefinitely in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Source:  Poker777 Staff

Wednesday, 31 August 2005