Online Poker News » PPA

PPA Tries to Delay UIGEA

Poker News Man — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:34:55 +0000

The time is almost upon us for the alleged “official” end of legal U.S. online poker. As of December 1st all online poker sites, other online gambling sites, and most especially internet payment processors are legally required to abide by the UIGEA “guidelines”. What this boils down to is a requirement that all these businesses find ways really fast to prevent U.S. players from sneaking onto their sites (or using their services to transfer money to and from said sites).

Fresh off the heels of failing to squelch the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act‘s enforcement altogether, the Poker Players Alliance is now trying to delay the Dec. 1st deadline at least. As an interest group, the PPA was able to submit a petition to Timothy Geithner, the US Secretary of the Treasury, asking him to push the deadline one year, to give affected businesses the proper time to make the changes necessary to comply with UIGEA. Geithner has 180 days to think it about it before he has to reply. That’s half a year! And December 1st is less than 2 months away.

The State of the Nation on Legalizing US Online Poker

Poker News Man — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 21:10:06 +0000

I read a recent blog posting asking whether legal online gambling in the U.S. was a state or a federal affair. My answer is that it seems to be both. On a federal level Massachussets Representative and Chair of the House Finances Committee Barney Frank tries to get a bill through Congress effectively knocking down the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act) and making online poker legal for U.S. players again.

But as we all eagerly await his (imminent?) success, the states aren’t waiting at all. Lawyer and Washington State Director of the Poker Players Alliance sadly failed in his effort to get a Washington court to repeal a state ban on internet gambling as it was a violation of certain constitutional rights. But the court upheld the ban, and the fight in Washington goes on.

Meanwhile, Californians (including Governor Arnold) tries to make CA the first state to legalize online poker and online gambling, and allow the state to collect a revenue from it by regulating it.

Sad News in Pokerville: US Online Poker Ban Finalized

Poker News Man — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:18:59 +0000

Despite the arduous efforts of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) and various other online poker advocacy groups, last Wednesday night, the loathsome UIGEA has been made official and will be made effective as of January 19, 2009 (coincidentally the day before the White House administration changes hands – or maybe not so coincidentally).

If you’ve had your head under a rock these past months, the vaguely-written UIGEA or the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act will make it extremely difficult if not impossible for internet poker sites to make their games available to players in the United States.

Relying on relationships between online poker merchants, banking institutions, and state and federal government regulations on illegal gambling, poker sites will be required to comply by UIGEA regulations by December 1, 2009 or risk being shut down.

It’s not to late to make your voice heard on the subject, however. You can still call you congressperson to protest the action as well as write an email to President-Elect Obama’s Transition Team to request that, once inaugurated, Obama reverse the decision.