Crucial Congressional Hearing For Poker This Week

Chris Grove : December 1st, 2009

Poker players interested in the future of legal, regulated poker in the US will want to pay particular attention to an upcoming Congressional hearing – and work to make sure their representatives do as well.

The date to mark: December 3rd, 10 AM EST. That’s the time when the House Financial Services Committee will be holding a hearing on H.R. 2267, Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act.

IGRCPE (catchy) is Barney Frank’s bill that seeks to create a regulatory environment for online skill games, such as poker. If passed into law, the bill would go a long way toward clarifying the legal status of online poker in the US and allowing for the development of a domestic market where powerhouses such as Harrah’s would be free to develop and operate US-facing poker rooms online.

Lobbying group The Poker Player’s Alliance is urging poker players to contact their representatives prior to this hearing and to stress the importance this issue has for them. The PPA suggests three basic courses of action: phone, email and Twitter. The PPA has tools that allows you to easily find your rep’s contact information and also provides some basic templates and talking points to make communicating your position easier. Details on that here.

What does the hearing mean for poker players? Nothing in the short term – many are doubtful that Frank’s bill will get to a vote any time soon, if ever, and even those who think it will get to a vote concede that passage is far from a sure thing. However, this hearing isn’t just an empty victory, for a number of reasons. First, it confirms that Frank is actively supporting and advancing the issue. He’s a busy guy, and the calendar for that committee isn’t teeming with open spaces, so the fact that it’s happening at all indicates at least some legislative momentum. Second, it suggests that the PPA is developing more and more of a presence in D.C.. While this bill is largely Frank’s doing, it seems unlikely that he’d be pushing it as hard as he is if he didn’t feel there was a strong enough lobbying foundation to capitalize on the momentum his work provides.

PPA Head Alfonse D’Amato drove that point home in his statement on the hearing: “Taking action today is the most important thing that a dedicated and concerned poker player like you can do to support online poker in the US. The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) can’t do this alone. Please take action today! A successful hearing on Thursday will hopefully lead to a Committee vote in support of poker, so we need your help today!”

To watch the hearing live, check out this link. Remember, the hearing takes place December 3rd at 10 AM EST.