PPA Fighting Hard To Defeat Adelson's Internet Gambling Control Act

US interest group, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), has been working hard to defeat Sheldon Adelson’s latest anti-online poker drive to support a federal ban on online poker. The billionaire Las Vegas Sands CEO intends to amend The Interstate Wire Act of 1961 to include online poker and online casino games, and so has introduced his drafted bill, the Internet Gambling Control Act.
Although Adelson’s bill has not yet gained sponsorship in the US Congress, it has already received support from three state Attorney Generals, and so the Poker Players Alliance is therefore seeking to halt the letter before it gains too much momentum. As PPA executive director John Pappas (photo), explains:
“We’re working overtime to make sure the letters don’t gain momentum among state AGs. We understand 10 have signed already, and we’re hoping we can change their minds as well. It’s an odd thing for a state AG to support. Essentially, it’s asking Congress to do a federal power grab on states, telling them what they can and cannot authorize. Either AGs are being misled or they don’t care what the message is, they’re just going to go along with this because they’re being asked by Sheldon Adelson.”
The three state Attorney Generals supporting Adelson’s Internet Gambling Control Act are Alan Wilson of South Carolina, Jon Bruning of Nebraska, and Chris Koster of Missouri. Also adding their signatures to the letter are Tom Horne of Arizona, David Louie of Hawaii, Bill Schuette of Michigan, Tim Fox of Montana, Wayne Stenehjem of North Dakota, Marty Jackley of South Dakota and Peter Michael of Wyoming.
Although attorney generals are not actually lawmakers and therefore do not have the power to change state laws, it should be noted that when the 2006 UIGEA was passed it was supported by almost all state Attorney Generals and so the PPA are now aggressively working to prevent a repeat of the events that led up to the controversial online poker ban.
“We want them to earn every inch they try to get in this fight. We don’t want them to push any effort that goes unchallenged. Since this is the launch of their campaign, we want to make sure it comes hard-fought,” commented Pappas.
PPA executive director John Pappas also drew attention to the fact that the Attorney Generals who have already signed the letter do not represent the most populous states in the US, and so would have less to gain from a regulated online poker industry.