The Poker Players Alliance has planned a phone march on Washington for Tuesday, September 12th. The PPA is encouraging all poker players (and everyone who is concerned with government intrusion into our private lives, really) to get on the phone and let their senators know they oppose HR4411.Via Lou Krieger's blog, here's the important information:
Here's What You Can Do to Stop This Legislation
Please call 800-289-1136 from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM Eastern Time Tuesday September 12. This is a FREE phone call and will connect you directly to your Senators' offices. Here are some talking points for you to use:
1. I am voter in your state.
2. I strongly oppose any legislation that would prohibit online poker, and urge the Senator to vote against such legislation.
3. Poker is a skill game enjoyed by 70 million Americans.
4. The Senator should seek to regulate online poker much like the government regulates other forms of gaming, like lotteries.
5. Prohibitions don't work. Any legislation that tries to ban online poker will only drive those players underground.
6. Again, I urge the Senator to oppose any attempts to prohibit me from playing the great American game of poker on the Internet.
You can help to continue to enjoy online poker in the United States by taking action now. Just one phone call is all it takes.
As I've written before, while most of us can look at this bill and see it for the transparent pandering that it is, we have to take it seriously. If the Senate passes similar legislation, ISPs could be allowed (or even required) to block access to poker sites (but not horse racing or lottery sites) from within the United States. Even if you don't care about playing online poker, think about how you feel about the government deciding what you can and can't do from the privacy of your own home, and where you can go on the Internets. Do you really want the government making those decisions for you?
