Dear PPA Member:
As the summer temperatures continue to rise, so does the heated debate in Congress over banning online poker. The Poker Players Alliance is working to ensure that the U.S. Senate does not vote on the same misguided legislation that passed the House in July. We have been successful in delaying action until now, but Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) intends to bring the online poker prohibition bill to a vote when the Senate returns for business in September.
The PPA continues to grow. We have just recently exceeded the 100,000 membership mark. Impressive, yet, we must continue to make our voices even louder. We have updated a letter which we ask that you send to both of your U.S. Senators. Simply click on this link, enter your zip and send the letters today!
Additionally, throughout the month of August U.S. Senators will be back in their home states. During this time most Senators host town hall meetings, public forums and debates to discuss the issues important to you, their constituents. We encourage you to seek out these meetings and ask your Senator to oppose any legislation that will limit your ability to play the great game of poker on the Internet.
Here are some key points for you to know:
* I strongly oppose H.R. 4411 which passed the U.S. House in July and implore you and your colleagues to oppose similar legislation that may be offered in the Senate.
* With rising gas prices, a prolonged war in the Mid-East and an ever increasing national debt, the U.S. Senate has much better and bigger things to accomplish than a ban on poker.
* More than 70 million Americans play poker. 23 million enjoy the game on the Internet. A vote against poker is a vote against me and other like minded Americans and will mobilize us in the November elections.
* A recent CNBC poll showed that 91 percent of Americans would like to see online gambling regulated in the U.S. and not prohibited! Studies have shown that regulation and taxation of Internet poker could net the federal government $3.3 billion in revenue annually and another $1 billion for the states.
Thank you so much for your continued support. With your help we can keep the federal government from banning the game we love.
Michael Bolcerek, president
Poker Players Alliance