Poker Players Alliance Reaches Milestone

The Poker Players Alliance in the USA has collected more than 200,000 signatures from players who are urging their government to make online poker legal. Excitement was building as the total number of signatures reached the milestone 200,000 mark, and the number of signatures kept on growing. At the time of writing, the total number of signatures collected by the Poker Players Alliance stood at 210,500.

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Online poker and casino gaming has been illegal in the USA ever since the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was introduced in October 2006, but that hasn’t stopped poker fans from arguing against the official position. Encouragingly, there are signs that the establishment is beginning to warm to the idea of regulating online gambling at some point in the future – signs that only really became readily apparent after Barack Obama became President.

The good news for poker players in the USA is that Mr President may well be on their side. Barack Obama is said to be a keen poker fan himself, and if his interest in the game extends to the point where he can appreciate the current plight of online players, he may be able to help bring about the change in the law that the Poker Players Alliance so desperately needs.

US poker players who visit the Poker Players Alliance website can sign the petition online. The wording of the petition to President Obama reads:

“I am a voter and a fellow poker player asking for your support of my right to play games of skill like poker on the Internet. This issue is not lost on the American public. We recently made our desire for this liberty known through your Citizen's Briefing Book website. Of the thousands of proposals submitted, a proposal supporting Internet poker rights was the number one issue on technology policy.

“What's most important to me is your support for my rights. Please: 1) exempt poker from the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and 2) license and regulate internet poker in the US. 3) Respect the rights of law-abiding Americans who love to play this great game of skill.”

With more than 210,500 people signing the petition, there is certainly a weight of opinion for the US president to consider. Let’s hope that the right decision is made as quickly as possible so that our American friends will be able to return to the online poker tables in the near future.