Pro poker players Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, and Greg Raymer were in Washington D.C. this week to appeal to lawmakers and the general public regarding three bills currently under discussion in Congress that threaten to put an end to online poker play in the U.S. At a press conference called by the Poker Players Alliance, a self-described grass-roots organization of more than 20,000 American poker players, the poker trio criticized the bill for including poker in its across-the-board campaign against gambling online. Lederer, for one, called poker a game relying more on skill than on mere chance. The poker players also pointed out the inconsistency of having legal poker on the ground, but deeming it illegal on the Internet.

The three bills under discussion are as follows: The first is a bill backed by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Virginia, that would outlaw online gambling across the nation, and give courts the power to block access to online gambling and poker sites. The second bill, sponsored by Rep. Jim Leach, R-Iowa, would restrict the use of credit cards or checks to finance Internet gambling. The third, and most familiar in the halls of congress, is the online gambling bill that Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz hopes to attach to other legislation under discussion in the Senate. Senator Kyl has unsuccessfully attempted to pass this bill a number of times.

Source: Poker777 Staff

Thursday, 6 April 2006