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Washington, DC John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy group with 1.2 million members nationwide and more than 22,000 PPA advocates in Massachusetts, submitted a statement today urging the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure to consider including an amendment to license and regulate Internet poker in SB 101, legislation proposed to bring online lotteries to the state.
In the comment, Pappas stated that Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey have already passed legislation to authorize and regulate Internet gaming. Other states such as California, Florida, Illinois and Iowa are taking note of these successful online platforms, and “are now recognizing the potential for significant job growth and millions in added revenue and are proposing their own legislation to regulate the online poker industry,” Pappas continued.
Pappas noted that aside from the economic benefits, a regulated online poker industry is necessary in providing much-needed consumer protections, as regulated operators are accountable to the players, regulators, and law enforcement.
“Today, in the U.S. and in regulated markets throughout the world, it is required that Internet gaming companies employ “best of breed” technologies that protect minors and problem gamblers, ensure that the games are fair, and that sites block players in prohibited jurisdictions. These mandatory safeguards are even more restrictive than those employed in brick-and-mortar casinos today,” continued Pappas.
In the statement’s conclusion, Pappas urged the committee to consider the added economical and societal benefits of providing Massachusetts residents with a safe and well-regulated place to play poker on the Internet.
