I saved a few of the important replies to the link I posted on this subject over at HPT, before Barry banned legal threads. I haven't asked those posters for permission to reprint it here, but I'll take the chance since they'd obviously WANT people to know that there are tangible things that concerned citizens can do:
-"Actually, would it be a bad thing if this bill hit the House floor? Think about it ... every legislator who has a real-money online account is going to vote against it ... thereby outing them as poker players!
Congress is not trying to do something about what they feel is "illegal" poker. They see it as an untapped revenue stream. If somebody's making money, Uncle Sam wants his 15% or 28% of it.
The top Democrat on the House committee, Massachusetts Democratic Representative Barney Frank, on the other hand, came out in opposition to the bill along with the Poker Players Alliance.
Frank believes "Adults are entitled to do with their money what they want to do," regardless of the moral opposition some lawmakers harbor towards gambling.
Said Michael Bolcerek, president of the Poker Players Alliance, "It is disingenuous to oppose Internet gambling and then write a bill that makes select forms of online gambling legal."
Way to go Barney and good point Michael. The bill excludes money "gambled on fantasy sports". Who they kiddin, playing fantasy baseball/football/etc. ain't gambling, it's pure skill. I've won two championships and two other times had the best regular-season record and didn't win the title since 2001. It's because I know how to draft.
And an update here in Florida ... a bill was passed calling tournament poker "paramutual betting". It basically lets you have buy ins and give away cash prizes in public places (i.e. bars) as long as there's no rake and they don't advertise for players (then it becomes a commercial enterprise and you need a license to do it). But our attorney general Tom Gallagher did what attorneys do best ... he filed an injunction. So I dunno what the deal is around here now."
-"This is actually very bad for all of us, everyone on this forum and all your friends need to contact their state representatives and be heard.
Some people are under the impression that this bill is just an add on to current legislation found in the Partiot Act where it is illegal to transfer money and process payments for online gambling activities. THIS IS NOT THE CASE! This bill will amount to basically a prohibition of all internet gambling including poker.
If this bill passes expect the US Government to enforce it immediately. How they will do this is by contacting all ISP's operating within the US and forcing them to comply by blocking ALL internet gambling sites. In addition to straight gambling for profit sites, sites where the majority of the content is gambling ( LIKE THIS ONE) will also be blocked.
We elect our officials so please take the time to contact them and let them know your opinion on this issue. I encourage everyone to find out who represents you in Congress and email or call their office telling them you would like them to vote no.
If anyone here would like to know more about this issue I can post some links to comments from Jay Cohen who for those of you that don't know is the only person who has ever been prosecuted for internet gambling in the US and spent 3 years in Nellis Federal Prison outside Las Vegas Nevada. He is the former owner of WSEX."
-"Check out this link, It is basically a lobbying group for poker players to fight laws like this. Linda Johnson is the chairwoman.
http://www.pokerplayersalliance.org "
-"If this bill goes through you can kiss all the money making opportunities in front and behind the scenes goodbye. I really don't think people understand how serious this is. If this bill goes through on it's own or even shadier if Goodlatte tries to attach it to another bill like Sentor Kyl has done in the past the internet as we know it will be changed.
Italy has already passed similar legislation in their country and have been very successful with ISP blocking software that is keeping people off hundreds of websites globally.
Poker Players Alliance is a good resource for players and fans of online poker to stand up and let their feelings be heard by their lawmakers. I strongly suggest that is you are for gambling or just for still being able to do what you want with your own money in the United States you visit that site and voice your opinion."
