For those of you who didn’t know, this week is “National Poker Week”, as declared by the Poker Players Alliance. To celebrate Poker’s biggest “national holiday”, the alliance has planned a number of events in an effort to bring the issue of online gambling to the forefront of national politics.
Events for the week include over 100 congressional meetings, a celebrity poker tournament for charity, and the presentation of a lengthy petition of 350,000 signatures to President Barack Obama.
The focus of the Poker Players Alliance event is the current state of federal law, which forbids citizens in the U.S. from playing poker or gambling online. Despite the law, which has been in effect since 2006, it is estimated that over half of the $16 Billion dollars a year wagered online originates from U.S. players.
With over 100 meetings with members of Congress and their aides planned for the week, representatives of the Poker Players Alliance hope to convince law makers that the United States stands to benefit greatly from legalizing and regulating gambling, rather than banning it outright.
In one such meeting held on Monday, John Pappas, the alliance’s executive director, presented his case by posing questions to a panel of internet and gambling authorities.
“What about children?” asked Pappas. Would it be possible to allow adults to gamble while banning minors from the gambling services?
Yes, it would be possible, responded panelist member Parry Aftab, an internet security expert.
By making internet gambling legal again, the U.S. government stands to collect billions of dollars in tax revenue from the industry. The boost in income is difficult for law makers to ignore as they puzzle over the nation’s current economic situation.
Despite the disapproval of the U.S. government, many online casinos continue to offer their services to players in the United States as they await the possible overturn of the internet gambling ban. If you are in the U.S. and want to play dozens of online casino games, click on the “Play Now” button to download Silver Oak Casino, one of the leading providers of online gambling services for U.S. based players:
What do you think of the latest push by the Poker Players Alliance to get the U.S. law changed? Let me know in the comment section below!