Poker Players Alliance Chairman Alfonse D'Amato Says Barney Frank's Bill Efforts Are Heroic

The Boston Herald this past weekend featured an article written by Poker Players Alliance (PPA) chairman and former Senator Alfonse D'Amato that equates the online gambling ban to other big government blunders in U.S. history, and describes Congressman Barney Frank's efforts to legalize online poker and gambling as "heroic".

PROHIBITIONS ARE BLUNDERS

"Perhaps the biggest government blunders in U.S. history have been prohibitions," began D'Amato in the Boston Herald article. "The prohibition against alcohol led to black market smuggling and speakeasies, and reaped huge profits for organized crime."

Referring to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) he continued, "Today, the prohibition on Internet gambling promises to funnel players underground, diminishing society's ability to deal with serious challenges such as underage and problem gambling, and, more importantly, interferes with the right to individual liberty and privacy."

D'Amato asserts that UIGEA, like other prohibitions, diverts or dilutes efforts to cure society ills instead of directly curing them, saying, "the unintended consequences abound. Law enforcement and financial institutions must redirect resources to monitor and then block poker wagers instead of focusing resources on tracking terrorist financing. And, because the ban funnels players underground and forces them to use less transparent financial systems to place bets, law enforcement finds itself even more hampered to police potential money laundering."

"Rep. Barney Frank's efforts to deal with this outrageous legislation are heroic."

REGULATION IS THE RIGHT WAY TO GO

On April 26, Frank introduced the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act of 2007 (IGREA). It would create an exemption for properly licensed operators to UIGEA's ban on financial institutions handling transactions between online gambling firms and US residents.

The PPA chairman praises Frank's plan to create "a licensing and regulating mechanism that will allow us to sort out the most responsible sites - those that are good corporate citizens from those engaged in unscrupulous activities and practices."

The technology to license and regulate online poker and online gambling exists today, asserts D'Amato, and Franks "knows that more than 80 countries and jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom, are demonstrating how to successfully oversee the industry."

The former Senator also points out that REVENUE is another commonsense reason to regulate online gambling. Poker alone could contribute $4 billion in federal and state revenues if properly regulated and taxed, according to an analysis conducted by a leading economist, claims D'Amato.

POKER IS AN AMERICAN TRADITION

He then describes poker as an American tradition that has evolved onto the Internet in the 21 Century. "For the 23 million Americans who play poker online, the Internet has provided a forum to socialize and match their skills."

"The Poker Players Alliance, with 425,000 members and growing, salutes Congressman Frank for his courage to take on this issue in defense of our individual liberties."

He closed by saying, "Only meaningful regulation of online poker, like the Frank plan, will produce positive outcomes for the players, children, the economy, the taxpayer, and society in general."

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