Wicked Chops Poker on Friday’s Indictments: The PPA Doesn’t get it
Wicked Chops Poker had a good take on the Poker Players Alliance effort to round up the poker playing troops by encouraging them to send letters to members of The Senate and House of Representatives.
WCP brings up the very valid point that some in the poker playing community seem to be ignoring, or at the very least, don’t want to accept.
“The PPA is primarily making online poker regulation (and subsequently, the DoJ indictments) about personal freedom and liberties. But if the information unsealed in the DoJ indictments is accurate, then laws were broken and penalties should be paid.”
For practical reasons, the US Justice Department is supposed to go after individuals who commit bank fraud. There is a rationale behind such actions. Terrorists and other more dangerous criminal elements use bank fraud and money laundering as a means of perpetrating their crimes. We can argue that those charged Friday shouldn’t be lumped in with terrorists and white collar criminals, but they are alleged to have utilized similar tools of the trade.
The Poker Players Alliance has to acknowledge that these are serious charges that cannot be swept under the carpet by organizing a letter writing campaign.
Simply put, the PPA needs to stop beating a dead horse.
Gambling911.com encourages poker players to write letters as well but we suggest submitting this well-written version authored by WCP that appears below:
As a voter and tax-paying constituent, I am writing to ask for you to support the licensing and regulation of online poker in the United States.
The recent DoJ indictments of PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker only underscores the tremendous opportunity that exists right now for the U.S. Government (and its citizens) to benefit from the regulation of online poker.
As a voter and tax-paying constituent, I am writing to ask for you to support the licensing and regulation of online poker in the United States.
The recent DoJ indictments of PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker only underscores the tremendous opportunity that exists right now for the U.S. Government (and its citizens) to benefit from the regulation of online poker.
Online poker is estimated to generate over $42 billion in tax revenue over the next 1o years and create over 37,000 domestic jobs.
Along with tax and job creation, regulating online poker provides consumer protection safeguards that have not existed in the past.
In short, Federal online poker regulation is fairly cut & dry:
• Online poker regulation will “repatriate” funds and generating tax revenues.
• Online poker regulation will stimulate business by creating tens of thousands of domestic jobs.
• Online poker regulation protects children and adults by creating safeguards for participation.
• Online poker regulation protects the consumer by enforcing safety standards.
If you support generating tax revenue WITHOUT increasing taxes, as well as creating domestic jobs instead of outsourcing them, you will support the licensing and regulation of online poker. If you do not, you will lose my vote in the 2012 election.
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