PPA Encouraging Players to Support NY iPoker Legislation

Encouraged by the recent success of Pennsylvania in passing online poker and gambling legislation, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) has recently turned its attention to New York, and is now asking players there to lend their support in convincing lawmakers to pass an internet poker bill of their own.
Pennsylvania is the USA’s sixth biggest state by population with roughly 13 million people, and is likely to provide a significant boost to the country’s online poker industry next year after it joins the shared poker player pool agreed between New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware. New York on the other hand, has roughly 20 million people, making it the country’s fourth most populous state, with its potential participation in the network bound to have an even more significant impact on the ailing industry.
Rich Muny (photo), Vice President of the USA’s foremost nonprofit poker advocacy group, subsequently wrote an op-ed on the ppa.org website in which he starts off by highlighting that there does exist support for an online poker bill in the Empire State, even though efforts so far have come to nought. As Muny explains, a bill successfully passed the state Senate by a convincing 54-8 vote this summer, but failed to progress further after the Assembly didn’t even hold a vote on the bill during its 2017 legislative period.
“Please be sure to participate in the Poker Daily Action Plan to ensure these lawmakers hear from all of us,” wrote Muny. “And, if you reside in the Empire State, be sure your lawmakers hear from you on this important issue.”
The Poker Daily Action Plan refers to a strategy of encouraging New York State residents to get in contact with at least two state lawmakers, and letting them know that they support legalized internet poker. Emphasizing the pivotal role that the Assembly has played in halting any positive developments so far, Muny also wrote:
“There remains much to do to convince the Assembly that authorizing poker websites will be good for consumers.”
Interestingly, New York passed a daily fantasy sports bill this year, despite some formidable opposition by politicians such as New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. Poker, on the other hand, has so far failed to win the games of skill argument amongst its many detractors in the state.