On Friday, October 13, 2006, President George W. Bush signed the Safe Port Act, H.R. 4954, into law. With this important national security measure came a hefty price tag for online poker players everywhere: the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, attached by Senator Bill Frist (R-TN) in a last-minute effort.

The Safe Port Act passed the House of Representatives 409-2 and the Senate by Unanimous Consent. Since the passage of this groundbreaking legislation, the face of Congress has undergone a startling change. Democrats now control Congress for the first time in over a decade and the politician primarily responsible for the UIGEA’s inclusion in the Safe Port Act has elected not to pursue a presidential run, despite abandoning his Tennessee Senate seat. In this mercurial environment sit online poker players and their main lobby group, the Poker Players Alliance.

Congress is currently in a lame duck session, which is set to expire by Friday. After the New Year, a new Congress with new leaders will take charge of the United States: “We’ve been focused on finding champions for an online poker exemption and educating new congressional members about online poker,� said Poker Players Alliance President Michael Bolcerek. “There’s a great opportunity there.�

These new leaders include incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) (pictured at left, above) and incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). Congressman Pelosi voted in favor of the original internet gambling legislation, H.R. 4411, while Senator Reid’s (pictured at left, below)) keen interest in brick and mortar gambling provides an opportunity for common ground with the interests of online poker players: “We need to spend more time working with Senator Reid, educating him on what the best policy would be going forward. He has not been supportive of online gaming in the past, but is at least willing to evaluate it.�

The PPA’s main focus has been centered around an exemption from the UIGEA for online poker: “There is certainly an interest on a study commission bill. We like it, but think an exemption for online poker is something that needs to be included, whether it’s included in a study commission bill or passed on its own.�

In an ironic twist, Senator Frist (pictured at right) kicked off what many thought were the early stages of a presidential run in 2008 by traveling to Iowa to support Senator Jim Leach’s (R-IA) Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act. A “field hearing� on the issue was held on August 31, 2006 in Cedar Rapids and Senator Frist would eventually help push the bill through the Senate. Bolcerek comments on Senator Frist’s recent announcement that he will not run for President: “The online poker legislation was part of his presidential run. It adds to the whole absurdity of how it was done and why it was done.� poker news

The PPA further believes that the UIGEA’s passage was a major factor in Congressman Leach’s (pictured at right) failure to be re-elected. A survey conducted by the PPA investigated the influence of the internet gambling legislation in the ballots cast by Iowans in November. In a survey of 1,000 voters, those who claimed Congressman Leach’s leadership position in the push for internet gambling legislation “strongly influenced� their ballots, David Loebsack enjoyed a 5% edge. Congressman Leach lost by a mere 2%.

Additionally, the PPA is mobilizing the online poker community on regional and local levels. Bolcerek is urging the 130,000 PPA members “to volunteer as local representatives. They may be attending local poker events, visiting their Senator or Congressman when they are back in their districts, or organizing a group of locals to visit their Congressmen. The local representatives will also serve as media spokespeople on a local basis.� In an environment where targeting individual members of Congress will be critical to an online poker study or exemption, the local representatives will help influence key lawmakers.

According to the PPA website, “The Poker Players Alliance is a nonprofit membership organization comprised of poker players and enthusiasts from around the United States who have joined together to speak with one voice to promote the game, ensure its integrity, and, most importantly, to protect poker players’ rights.� Its revenue is driven by memberships, which are available for $20. Visit http://www.pokerplayersalliance.org/ for more details and to sign up today.

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