Os Man Corner

Not all poker players are down and out

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Back in 2006, when the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was issued by Congress, making it illegal to allow banks and other financial institutions to accept payments from credit cards, checks or electronic fund transfers, a movement bent on overthrowing this roadblock from serious gambler's paths began.

For those who don't know, The Poker Players Alliance has made many efforts to get things moving on legalizing online poker. The group is funded by the Interactive Gaming Council, a Canadian-based trade association for online casinos. PPA is an organization to be reckoned with and has set up nearly 100 meetings with members of Congress and their aids, and plans to launch these issues before President Obama on Wednesday. With more than 350,000 signatures at last count, including famous poker players Annie Duke, Howard Lederer, Andy Bloch and Greg Raymer, the clock is ticking.

The fun with a purpose started on Monday, when players hosted a congressional staff briefing that showed how online poker can be successfully regulated in the U.S. Around 20 congressional offices reportedly came to show their support or hear the presentation. The talks addressed issues like cyber-safety and keeping kids off online environments such as online poker sites; it was concluded that there is parental control technology on operating systems to solve this problem. Parry Aftab, founder and executive director of WiredSafety.org, vouched for these developments that are legitimate and affordable ways to monitor online poker sites.

Other speakers for the group were Roberta Combs and Paul Mathews. According to Combs, president of the Christian Coalition of America, nothing could be said to change her stance on opposing online gambling; for her, it is an issue that will “break up the family.” Combs was not concerned about the pull that people like The Poker Players Alliance and so on would have on legalizing online poker. She doesn't believe the poker supporters have any leverage in helping this to come to pass. Mathews was another supporter who spoke, a former executive with International Game Technology, and proposed that online gambling can actually decrease a pathological gambler's urges by allowing him or her to set limits on money to wager ahead of time. Tuesday night a charity poker tournament will commence with proceeds going to USO and the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

It only makes sense to legalize online poker, when at least half the $16 billion grossed by the gambling industry is fueled by U.S players and the people turning the buck are the hosts overseas: It really is only a matter of time before the U.S. comes along with it all. In fact, the federal government already has their fingers in the cookie jar by recently freezing more than $30 million in the accounts of payment processors. The Poker Players Alliance is specifically vying to get that money returned by supporters like Representative Barney Frank by passing around a current petition meant for President Obama entitled “Poker is Not a Crime,” and if any game in the gambling world is unlawful, it certainly isn't poker.

US players: Ante up while you still can at Titan casino for some solid online poker action!