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Former Senator Alfonse D’Amato, Chairman of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy group with more than one million members nationwide, offered the following comments in response to issues raised during today’s House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade hearing on internet gaming.
“We are pleased with the committee’s commitment to thoroughly explore all angles of licensing and regulating online poker in the U.S.,” said Chairman D’Amato. “Hearings like today’s highlight how a licensed and regulated online poker industry benefits all Americans and we are hopeful members of Congress recognize the urgency of passing the appropriate legislation to get this done. We simply cannot afford to overlook the tens of thousands of U.S. jobs and tens of billions of dollars in federal and state revenue this would generate at a time when the U.S. economy needs it most.”
“In respect to the concerns raised around any impact such legislation would have on state lottery commissions, it is important that we make the distinction between Americans who participate in the games of chance offered by state lotteries and poker players. The Americans we represent, who play online poker, do so because they value the level of skill and thought process involved in winning that frankly doesn’t exist in games of chance. It is simply not true that licensed, online poker will reduce the revenue gained through state lotteries.”
“A properly licensed and regulated online poker industry would also incorporate new technologies to effectively protect against fraudulent play, underage and problem gambling – protections that do not exist now. Through technologies that allow us to monitor activity and play patterns, we can effectively target and take action against fraudulent players and programs. We can also accurately verify a players’ age to ensure underage Americans are not able to access online play. In addition, we have the advantage of learning from the effective protections for problem gamblers that many European countries are already implementing, such as the use of technology to monitor and flag players that exhibit signs of problem gambling and directing them to the appropriate problem gambling services.”
“By creating a safe and licensed online poker market within the U.S., we have the opportunity to protect our citizens, while contributing to our nation’s economic recovery. Tens of thousands of poker players across the country have already expressed their support for a licensed and regulated U.S. online poker industry through direct contact to their lawmakers, forums and social media outlets. Now is the time to listen to the voice of American voters and make the right decision for our country’s future.”
