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By a near unanimous vote, Patrick Fleming, director of the Poker Players Alliance’s Litigation Support Network, was selected as a new member of the Board of Directors of the PPA, the leading poker grassroots advocacy group with more than one million members nationwide. Nominees to the PPA Board of Directors must be approved by the PPA membership in order to serve.
“Patrick is one of the poker community’s staunchest champions, donating his time and legal expertise to help PPA members navigate the often murky waters regarding poker’s legal status,” said former Senator Alfonse D’Amato, chairman of the PPA. “I am so pleased that he will be joining the board of directors as we work together to guide the organization’s efforts to provide a safe, regulated environment for poker players in the U.S.”
An attorney with his own private practice in Portsmouth, NH, Fleming specializes in criminal defense and civil rights litigation. His father taught him how to play poker when he was in his early teens, and Fleming frequently played in his father's regular game and throughout his college and law school years. In 2004, Fleming discovered online poker and quickly became a frequent player under the screen name "skallagrim."
Dismayed at the government’s effort to restrict his right to play online poker by passing the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), Fleming joined the PPA and began leveraging his legal expertise to post about legal challenges on various poker forums.
In 2008, Fleming suggested that the PPA create a formal Litigation Support Network (LSN) to assist PPA members who found themselves confronted with legal issues regarding their playing poker. In addition, the LSN would provide the basic framework to advance the skill argument for use in future court cases. PPA followed Fleming’s recommendation and named him director of the LSN.
“Without Patrick’s guidance and expertise, the PPA would not be nearly as well positioned from a legal perspective to provide support and testimony in the legal cases impacting poker across the nation. Just as importantly, our members would not have the Litigation Support Network, which is an invaluable resource to protect players as they enjoy a game of Texas Hold ‘Em at home, online or at a charity event,” said John Pappas, executive director of the PPA. “It is a true pleasure to work with Patrick and I look forward the ideas and insights I am certain he will bring in his role on the board of directors.”
