Legalized Online Poker Fails

Got up this morning to the disheartening news that Sen. Harry Reid’s attempts at passing online poker legislation during the lame-duck session of Congress has failed. Word came down Wednesday night that the bill will not be voted on or attached to another bill during the last few days of this session.

I’m sure that because of the part in the bill where it discusses a 15 month blackout there will be many that will be glad to hear that the bill has failed before it even came to a vote. However, I am not one of them. As someone that has struggled because of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and been outspoken against the hypocrisy of those that oppose online poker or gambling since 2006, I was willing to make the sacrifice.

Personally, I didn’t think that every U.S. friendly poker site would blacklist the American player anyhow, if for no other reason that many sites could not stay in business without us. The fact is that in all likelihood there would have been plenty of U.S. based sites ready to jump right in and offer all our favorite poker games.

You can play online poker in the privacy of your own home by clicking here !

“We are disappointed that Congress failed to act and provide the necessary consumer protections and sensible oversight over this multi-billion dollar industry,” John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players Alliance, wrote in an e-mail to ESPN.com. “Sadly, some politicians remain with their heads firmly in the sand. The leadership of the Poker Players Alliance got the debate this far and we are determined to see this through.” (ESPN Poker Blog, 2010).

Looks like it’s back to the same old issues for poker players from the “Land of the free”. With the Republicans taking full control of the House in January I don’t think we’ll see online poker legalized anytime soon. It is a crying shame that the Democrats and those few Republicans that have sided with the rights of online players have shown so much weakness in the last 2 years by not getting poker players the rights to fund their games. Too much of trying to compromise with those that believe freedom is forcing their moral beliefs on others by making laws to enforce them….

Source – ESPN Poker Blog

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