Almost 9 000 American poker players have signed a petition started
by a corporate financial attorney in Santa Monica this week, protesting
the passing of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act and
urging Congress to regulate and tax online gambling rather than trying
to destroy it.
Lawyer Jim Perkins, a corporate/finance attorney in Santa Monica,
California, who has played poker online since 1998, said he's been
following American attempts to ban online gambling since the first,
and unsuccessful, Leach Bill on which the current legislation is largely
founded.
When the bill, attached to a completely unrelated port security bill
was controversially passed on September 30 it was the last straw for
Perkins, who decided to do something about making the players' voices
heard by starting a petition.
Addressed to all members of the Congress and Senate, the petition
says:
"We would like to register our strong disagreement with
and disapproval of the recently enacted bill regarding the prohibition
and/or regulation of internet gambling. The bill was originally introduced
in the House of Representatives by Representative Goodlatte and was
attached to 'must pass' legislation in the Senate by Senator Frist.
"We strongly believe that the government should not attempt to
prohibit online gambling by adults. We favor legalization, regulation
and taxation of online gambling by the government of the United States."
"People who want to gamble online will gamble online,"
Perkins said. "By passing a bill that attempts to prohibit
people from engaging in an activity that many millions of people clearly
want to engage in, the government is driving the activity underground
and creating the likelihood of greater harm."
Perkins said he's had support from various Internet news groups and
communities to help get the word out about the survey, but was surprised
by the lack of support from online gaming sites, organizations such
as the Poker Players' Alliance, and other groups and businesses that
would have a vested interest in supporting online gaming.
"I have been surprised that no businesses or organizations
that would seem to be most interested in promoting online gambling
have stepped in to promote this drive," Perkins said.
"I wrote to all the major online poker sites and got back
a message that basically their official position was 'no comment.'"