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Dear Chris, As I noted last week, on
Monday-Wednesday (October 22-24) a hundred of your fellow Poker Players Alliance members will converge on Capitol Hill to meet with key Members of Congress in support of legal online Poker. Even if
you can’t join us, we need you at the “virtual table” to help reinforce the message. The Issue in Brief Last year, Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) as part of a much larger Appropriations bill, directing new regulations on all online gaming including Poker. But the game is not lost – through the efforts of poker players like us, four bills are in Congress now to keep online Poker legal. You can read more about these bills (H.R. 2046, H.R. 2610, H.R. 2140 and H.R. 2607) here. Why YOUR Voice Matters Right now, these bills are before the House Financial Services and House Judiciary Committees. Your Member of Congress Rep. Julia M. Carson is on one of these committees or is in a key leadership position to influence the legislation. You Can Make a Difference Today, Sitting Right Where You Are Show your support for our Facebook petition! If you’re a Facebook user, just click here and “Support” the petition (you'll be asked to add the iConcur application to your Facebook account in order to support
our petition.) We’ll share this petition with Congressional staffers next week to reinforce in their minds the large number of voters who support online poker. Tell Them “Live” on Video: Have a video camera? Tell Rep. Julia M. Carson and the rest of Congress “live” on video how you feel about online poker and why the government should keep it legal. Just create your video and post it on YouTube, and include “Poker-Players-Alliance” as one of your tags. We’ll take it from there to make sure your
video link gets to Congress. (Need inspiration? Here's a video from a fellow PPA member.)
Thank You for “Testifying” about Poker –
It’s Not Too Late to Add Your Own Perspective Last week we asked you to “testify” from your seat at home by sending personal thoughts about the value of online poker to you – and more than three hundred did! Below are just a few excerpts of the constituent messages we’ll deliver to key Members of Congress during our visits next week (see more on our Website, also you can add your own here.) I'm 63 years old and retired. I would like to be able to get out and fish or play golf. These are things you do in retirement. However I am in a situation where I have to stay at home, mostly in doors. My Mother is 90 years old and I must take care of her. I need recreation that allows me to stay indoors while I do this. I am a competitor by nature. Online poker gives me this ability to take care of my Mom and maintain my competitive nature. Playing poker online gives my family and I great appreciation. It is a game that I look forward to teaching my children as a way to stay mentally sharp and focused for long periods of time. Something that i feel we have lost in almost all other aspects
of the American entertainment industry. Revoking something that is not only a large part of Americas past and what has certainly proven to be a large part of its future, is undeniably
a mistake. I, for one, am in favor of keeping online poker regulated and legal. I am also physically challenged as a result of breaking my left leg in two and my ankle completely off in 2000. For the better part of the past seven years, I experienced mind-numbing pain. However, as a direct result of online poker, I was able to keep my mind stimulated, occupied, and focused on something other than the intense pain. The studying and playing of poker has increased my logical thinking and mathematical processes in my mind to a point where I can look at a situation and break things down in a clearly logical way without the cloud of depression to make my decisions for me. I am a retired senior citizen and find online poker as being
something that I can do to stimulate my mind and allow me to continue to compete in a game that I have enjoyed for years. Banning online poker, definitely a game of skill, blocks access to
an activity that is beneficial to me especially during the winter months when it can be more difficult to access outside entertainment.
… and Get Ready for Monday, When We’ll Flood the Phones In the morning of October 22, look for a message asking you to call the office of Rep. Julia M. Carson and ask for support of online poker. The message will have all the information you need including phone number, who to ask for, and our draft talking points which you can adapt with
your own thoughts. It’s important for key Members to receive our message through multiple channels -- emails, links to petitions and videos, calls and visits during this concentrated
period to reinforce our message. We hope you’ll consider making the call for poker! Thanks in Advance! Proud to Play Poker, Senator Alfonse D'Amato
PPA Chairman | |
