Firstly before we explore this topic, congratulations to fellow poker blogger Graham for winning the monthly $100 comment contest. You’re PAW account has been credited.

Now, let’s discuss what seems to be all the buzz this week in the online poker world. Last week several professional poker players including Barry Greenstein and Howard Lederer, along with the PPA made a trip to Washington D.C. to lobby to the monkey’s on the hill. According to the story on Poker News, Barry stated

“I’m sure it will be less than 6 months before Congress realizes that they need to pass legislation contrary to the UIEGA. If it hasn’t already happened, it will happen in a few weeks. I don’t know how slow the process is and how much debate there will be as to whether there is a different approach that should be taken than the Frank and Wexler bills.”

There is also a great discussion on this going on over in the Poker Affiliate World Forums. Personally I think this all sounds great and positive. But I am highly doubtful that within 6 short months online poker will be 100% legal in the U.S. and no longer a gray area. I don’t want to undermine any of the progress that these guys made in Washington. I do believe that with the EU case and the WTO rulings, the U.S. government is being forced to look closer at the UIGEA. However I also think you have to look at the big picture here.

The PPA and all these professional poker players went and schmoozed a bunch of politicians and their underpaid grunts staff. The videos I saw showed them drinking wine and being social. Of course the “politicians” are going to tell these “poker celebrities” that all is good and they are going to push for a vote to overturn the UIGEA. Even worse is quoting how their staff sounded excited. No shit, they’re underpaid interns hanging out with poker pro’s that are on T.V., of course they’re telling you what you want to hear. At the end of the day however, it’s still a republican administration and there are still hard core politicians that will fillibuster or debate how terrible online gambling is until they are blue in the face.

Believe me, I would love to see what Barry is saying come to fruition. And I do think that legislation will be passed in the future in respect to online gambling……..but within 6 months? Beanie and PPP brought up a good points in the post at PAW. George Bush is not going to sign anything legalizing online gambling in his last year in office. So go ahead and have the vote, even if it passes, especially if the majority of the yea’s are democratic, G Dubb will veto that bitch before the ink even dries.

Likewise if anyone thinks the U.S. government can figure out how to regulate, legalize, and tax a multi-billion dollar offshore industry such as online gambling in only 6 months please puff….. puff, give…… now pass the bong. I am not trying to be negative at all, more so I am just trying to be realistic. There are several other conversations and thoughts in the PAW thread about the implications to affiliates if this does come to fruition. I encourage you all to give that thread a read if you have not already.

One last thing I want to bring up, and I have been saying this for years is this. Everyone wants to argue to the government that online poker should be legal because it is a “skill game”. I think this is a terrible argument to present to those politicians whom are against legalization.

Of course I personally agree that poker is a skill game, there is no question. BUT, it is still GAMBLING. And the fact of the matter is that over 75% of the players are losing players. No need to worry though, probably 99% of state funded lottery players are losing players also. The point is that lobbying for legalization due to the fact that it is a skill game is stupid. Because for most people it is not about skill and making a living. It’s about online poker being a form of safe entertainment.

Take away the small percentage of grinders who play poker for a living. Most players like me for example simply like to gamble with discretionary money. If I get into the $50 MTT at FullTilt tonight, I would love to win it or even cash. However I am mentally and financially prepared to lose the buy-in. I realize many things would have to fall my way for me to win the entire tournament. Either way I feel better about spending $50 on this entertainment than spending it going out drinking and smoking at a bar all night.

The more sensible argument is that as a tax paying U.S. citizen I should be able to do whatever the hell I want to do with the money I earn. Of course I should rephrase that as the money I have left over after paying federal and state income taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, and of course the money I put into programs like social security which I will never see a penny of.

Apparently it is morally O.K. for me to spend the crumbs of my income I have left over after taxes on copious amounts of booze, cigarettes, and $20 scratch off tickets. Whether it’s a skill game or not shouldn’t even make a difference….. I earned the money, let me do with it what I please.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 1st, 2007 at 1:11 pm and is filed under Affiliate Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.