CardKing777
Enthusiast
Silver Level
"According to a published report from gambling Compliance, the senior Senator from the state of South Carolina, powerful Republican Lindsey Graham, will be introducing legislation that looks to put a federal ban on internet gaming and poker.
The report from Gambling Compliance, passed along to the Poker Players Alliance membership through Vice President of Player Relations Rich Muny, states that this legislation will “soon” be introduced. It would look to rewrite the Wire Act of 1961 to include a ban on gaming over the internet alongside prohibitions that are already in place. If that bill was to pass through the Democratic-controlled Senate, it would then be sent to the House of Representatives, which would seemingly have a fairly easy time in passing a bill suggested by a member of the GOP establishment.
In the Gambling Compliance interview, Graham remarked that he was firmly against any form of online betting (whether he was including such things as fantasy sports leagues in with online casino gaming and poker is unknown). He also adamantly stated his opposition to exempting online poker from any ban, saying that he would oppose efforts from other Senators in proposing a poker-only federal regulation that would still ban all other online gaming options. This is a critical point as two members of the Senate, the Nevada team of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and junior Senator Dean Heller, are supposedly on course to push for a poker-only regulatory system."
Really?
So here we are with States moving forward to legitimize online gambling, albeit flawed, but nonetheless, with the ability to morph over time to an environment, similar to what we had before Black Friday. I believe Nevada and Delaware are kicking around, if they haven't yet finalized, a proposal to allow people from each state to compete as one. One would hope that over time, because of fiscal reasons, especially as it relates to unfunded pension liabilities, that most if not all States will legitimize online poker and eventually, as Nevada and Delaware are proposing, the States will allow each other's Citizens to compete with Citizens of other States.
We now find that certain members of our Federal Congress are going to start proposing and encouraging legislation that will make it illegal for the States to do what they have already started? Makes no sense unless the Big Money from people like Sheldon Adelson, who stand to gain more than they spend, is finding its way into the back pockets of those that are proposing and backing the Federal Legislation. So... Apparently we have a scenario beginning to set up whereby it will be like the current fiasco regarding States legalizing recreational marijuana use. Against the law at the Federal Level but legal on the State level!
It is indeed a sad state of affairs when the Federal Government will not do what our Founding Father's intended. Let the States Govern themselves. I believe, as sad as it is, that it is now all about money! It appears we are moving into the phases of legislature that are dictated by which .org Lobby Group has more money to spend than the other. I am sending a check today to The Poker Players Alliance and earmarking it as funds I wish them to use to Lobby against Federal Legislation that is being proposed by the likes of Senator Graham, et al. If any of our members live in the State of South Carolina and are registered voters I encourage you to contact Senator Graham's office and let it be known that your vote will not be cast for any candidate for Congress, from your State, that opposes online poker. Urge and encourage your relatives, neighbors and friends to do the same. The almighty dollar is a powerful tool in the hands of the lobbyists, but which hands it ends up in, and how it affects legislation once it reaches those hands is often tempered by the will of the voters as long as they make their intentions known before the damage is done.
We are fortunate right now that the Senate is controlled by the Democrats and that Senators Reid and Heller from Nevada, even though I find their stance on other issues deplorable, are "on a course to push for a poker-only regulatory system". Keep in mind that in all likelihood the makeup of the US Senate may very well change in November and the type of legislation Sen. Graham is proposing may well find itself in a legislative environment next year that will leave us all wishing we had spoken up before it is too late. With that thought in mind, does it not make sense that poker players in all States where they have a member of Congress coming up for re-election this Fall and other candidates for those seats be asked about their position on online poker and make them understand that if they are opposed to it that they will not receive your vote?
Now is the time to act folks. It is hard to stop the train once it has left the station!
The report from Gambling Compliance, passed along to the Poker Players Alliance membership through Vice President of Player Relations Rich Muny, states that this legislation will “soon” be introduced. It would look to rewrite the Wire Act of 1961 to include a ban on gaming over the internet alongside prohibitions that are already in place. If that bill was to pass through the Democratic-controlled Senate, it would then be sent to the House of Representatives, which would seemingly have a fairly easy time in passing a bill suggested by a member of the GOP establishment.
In the Gambling Compliance interview, Graham remarked that he was firmly against any form of online betting (whether he was including such things as fantasy sports leagues in with online casino gaming and poker is unknown). He also adamantly stated his opposition to exempting online poker from any ban, saying that he would oppose efforts from other Senators in proposing a poker-only federal regulation that would still ban all other online gaming options. This is a critical point as two members of the Senate, the Nevada team of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and junior Senator Dean Heller, are supposedly on course to push for a poker-only regulatory system."
Really?
So here we are with States moving forward to legitimize online gambling, albeit flawed, but nonetheless, with the ability to morph over time to an environment, similar to what we had before Black Friday. I believe Nevada and Delaware are kicking around, if they haven't yet finalized, a proposal to allow people from each state to compete as one. One would hope that over time, because of fiscal reasons, especially as it relates to unfunded pension liabilities, that most if not all States will legitimize online poker and eventually, as Nevada and Delaware are proposing, the States will allow each other's Citizens to compete with Citizens of other States.
We now find that certain members of our Federal Congress are going to start proposing and encouraging legislation that will make it illegal for the States to do what they have already started? Makes no sense unless the Big Money from people like Sheldon Adelson, who stand to gain more than they spend, is finding its way into the back pockets of those that are proposing and backing the Federal Legislation. So... Apparently we have a scenario beginning to set up whereby it will be like the current fiasco regarding States legalizing recreational marijuana use. Against the law at the Federal Level but legal on the State level!
It is indeed a sad state of affairs when the Federal Government will not do what our Founding Father's intended. Let the States Govern themselves. I believe, as sad as it is, that it is now all about money! It appears we are moving into the phases of legislature that are dictated by which .org Lobby Group has more money to spend than the other. I am sending a check today to The Poker Players Alliance and earmarking it as funds I wish them to use to Lobby against Federal Legislation that is being proposed by the likes of Senator Graham, et al. If any of our members live in the State of South Carolina and are registered voters I encourage you to contact Senator Graham's office and let it be known that your vote will not be cast for any candidate for Congress, from your State, that opposes online poker. Urge and encourage your relatives, neighbors and friends to do the same. The almighty dollar is a powerful tool in the hands of the lobbyists, but which hands it ends up in, and how it affects legislation once it reaches those hands is often tempered by the will of the voters as long as they make their intentions known before the damage is done.
We are fortunate right now that the Senate is controlled by the Democrats and that Senators Reid and Heller from Nevada, even though I find their stance on other issues deplorable, are "on a course to push for a poker-only regulatory system". Keep in mind that in all likelihood the makeup of the US Senate may very well change in November and the type of legislation Sen. Graham is proposing may well find itself in a legislative environment next year that will leave us all wishing we had spoken up before it is too late. With that thought in mind, does it not make sense that poker players in all States where they have a member of Congress coming up for re-election this Fall and other candidates for those seats be asked about their position on online poker and make them understand that if they are opposed to it that they will not receive your vote?
Now is the time to act folks. It is hard to stop the train once it has left the station!
