Poker Pros Get Out the Vote

A new campaign by the Poker Players Alliance aims to increase poker's political presence in Washington in the lead-up to the 2008 presidential election.

With the 2008 US presidential election fast approaching, thousands of special-interest groups are descending on Washington, DC, to make their voices heard on issues such as gun control, abortion and foreign policy. Now poker players are the latest lobby group to target the Capitol, with a Poker Players Alliance campaign circulating on the internet.

The PPA's campaign is headlined by a website carrying the very election-themed name of Poker 2008. The website includes a video, featuring poker professionals such as Mike Sexton, Annie Duke, Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Andy Bloch, and Jennifer Harman, in which they urge poker players to register to vote.

The video begins with the message "the PPA recognizes that political power comes in voters." It then features short clips of the various professionals, with catchy quotes like "politicians care about poker because their constituents care about poker."

Poker, of both the online and land-based varieties, is in a state of semi-legal status in the United States. There is no federal law actually banning someone from playing online poker. However, some states do have criminal laws prohibiting online gambling.

The PPA cites increasing crackdowns against poker and other forms of gambling from Washington and the states as prompting the need for a united political front. This includes the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, which made it illegal for financial institutions to handle transactions between US residents and online poker and gaming operators.

The PPA's mission, according to its website, is "to establish favorable laws that provide poker players with a secure, safe and regulated place to play. Through education and awareness the PPA will keep this game of skill, one of America's oldest recreational activities, free from egregious government intervention and misguided laws."

With online gambling becoming an ever-important issue, the efforts of both pro- and anti-gambling campaigners will no doubt intensify as the November 4 election date draws closer.

Written by Nadav S

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