Should the PPA concentrate on state legislation instead of federal?

[acecatcher26]

Originally Posted by rwperu34

The problem is, these aren't legitimate questions. This idiotic debate has been going on for months and months and most of the questions have been answered several times. It's actually getting a little annoying (to me) that TE even responds to him any more. There are few of these guys who keep beating the same point home again and again. What it amounts to is, the PPA isn't doing exactly what they want and if it were done their way we'd be a lot better off. It's complete BS. The decision makers at the PPA have way more information than some cartoon on a message board, therefore they are far better equipped to make the correct decisions.

THIS

Id be willing to bet that 98% of these people questioning the PPA/TheEngineer are sitting on their @ss doing nothing to further our cause. They are mad that this whole poker legislation hasn't fallen into their lap yet and need someone to blame.

I'd suggest that each and every one of us visit the daily action plan and send tweets/facebook messages and write letters to Senators and Reps instead of crying about ahhh boooo hooo I dont think the PPA is doing all they can. The point is, WE want to play poker, WE should be doing the work by telling our politicians.

[tamiller866]

If someone decided to start lobbying for a national lottery 30 years ago, and spent 6 years working 20 hours per day on a letter writing campaign with the federal government, he would be a laughingstock rather than someone whose efforts deserve commendation.

Instead someone smarter came along 24 years ago and focused on getting state (the only government body with the constitutional authority to authorize gambling) authorization and today almost everyone can buy a powerball ticket.

Not so long ago, the federal government wanted to ban the UFC, but like gambling, sporting events are authorized at the state level. The feds tried to block them from cable PPV (interstate commerce) but they stayed alive on satellite until they got smart and stopped running from state rules and regulation and threw themselves at the mercy of the Garden State offering to pay for the expansion of the NJ athletic commission in defining the unified rules of MMA.

In 2000 they were then able to hold the first U.S. sanctioned UFC on cable PPV, the rest is history as just 12 years later MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world - without spending a dime lobbying the federal government.

Online poker will get federal regulation eventually, it's inevitable as there will be so much money involved, state governments infringing on tribal sovereignty, states refusing to pool thereby setting up monopolies, states licensing without sufficient regulation, etc, so there is simply no need to spend one minute or one penny lobbying for federal regulation.

Get a well populated state to not only authorize in attempt to show themselves prepared to be the defacto authorized licensing body under some theoretical federal plan (NV), but actually bring poker online with a willingness to pool, and more states than not will jump in with them, giving congress no choice but to follow.

[Jonaspublius]

Originally Posted by novahunterpa

PPA doesn't have to spend all of its resources lobbying all fifty states. Just spend a little time and a little bit of money on the few states that have actual online poker bills pending. Simply be supportive of these states legislative efforts would be a big step in the right direction.

We have a much better chance at getting a few states to pass online bills then hoping that Reid can attach a bill the lame duck and then waiting another 2 years hoping he tries again. Maybe if a few states pass online gambling/poker it will force the feds to act and maybe it wont but even with a federal bill the battle front will quickly move from DC to the states.

Hey, I know if NJ or NV goes live with international pooling, or with Cali, I could easily see dropping 1k plus a year on poker lobbying. I can seebgrinders going to meetips in AC, NYC, or Philly. Talking other players into donating. Granted, that would mean local leadership. It would turning some pressure on providers, or offering carrots, to get paid help. I'm sure in a week, you could find 10 NJ citizens to help the state director work on getting more people involved. Task everyone with a trip to Trenton, with a guest from NJ to meet or go to their local state senators office. Then, have everyone contact the borgata on the same day, player card number onhand, and ask for help getting passage for BorgataOnline. Suggest contacting the PPA with offers of assistance. Then, hang up, contact yet someone else, and ask they do the same. May31st, request a poker room to host a NJ online poker vote sweat tourney, and ASK players to pledge a share of winnings to the PPA, extra if it passes. Ideas are easy, the worst is someone says no, and you figure out more. A lot of brilliant people read this forum.

[Krayzcootr]

Originally Posted by Jonaspublius

Hey, I know if NJ or NV goes live with international pooling, or with Cali, I could easily see dropping 1k plus a year on poker lobbying. I can seebgrinders going to meetips in AC, NYC, or Philly. Talking other players into donating. Granted, that would mean local leadership. It would turning some pressure on providers, or offering carrots, to get paid help. I'm sure in a week, you could find 10 NJ citizens to help the state director work on getting more people involved. Task everyone with a trip to Trenton, with a guest from NJ to meet or go to their local state senators office. Then, have everyone contact the borgata on the same day, player card number onhand, and ask for help getting passage for BorgataOnline. Suggest contacting the PPA with offers of assistance. Then, hang up, contact yet someone else, and ask they do the same. May31st, request a poker room to host a NJ online poker vote sweat tourney, and ASK players to pledge a share of winnings to the PPA, extra if it passes. Ideas are easy, the worst is someone says no, and you figure out more. A lot of brilliant people read this forum.

Amen!!!!!! prob the best post in this thread!!!

[sajeffe]

Who is the New Jersey PPA director? Do they have a New Jersey Advocacy thread in the Poker Legislation forum (like the Texas people have)? New Jersey should follow Texas' example in getting players to support legislation. I'm not from Texas (though I do have voting age family members there), but I've done Matthew's action plans in order to support the poker players there. Some of the plans focused on online poker, but others focused on live poker rooms, which are illegal. New Jersey, being so close to legislation, should have an advocacy thread of their own, either in this forum, or in the PL forum (where it will get more notice). Just my humble opinion.

[GJS70]

Originally Posted by acecatcher26

THIS

Id be willing to bet that 98% of these people questioning the PPA/TheEngineer are sitting on their @ss doing nothing to further our cause. They are mad that this whole poker legislation hasn't fallen into their lap yet and need someone to blame.

I'd suggest that each and every one of us visit the daily action plan and send tweets/facebook messages and write letters to Senators and Reps instead of crying about ahhh boooo hooo I dont think the PPA is doing all they can. The point is, WE want to play poker, WE should be doing the work by telling our politicians.

This pretty much says it all. There are more people complaining then actually trying to do something about it. If there were more participation and the poker community came together in force to let our elected officials know we demand action, I really feel we would have it by now.

[sba9630]

Originally Posted by sajeffe

Who is the New Jersey PPA director? ...

http://theppa.org/state-directors/#NJ

[DonkeyQuixote]

Originally Posted by tamiller866

If someone decided to start lobbying for a national lottery 30 years ago, and spent 6 years working 20 hours per day on a letter writing campaign with the federal government, he would be a laughingstock rather than someone whose efforts deserve commendation.

Instead someone smarter came along 24 years ago and focused on getting state (the only government body with the constitutional authority to authorize gambling) authorization and today almost everyone can buy a powerball ticket.

Not so long ago, the federal government wanted to ban the UFC, but like gambling, sporting events are authorized at the state level. The feds tried to block them from cable PPV (interstate commerce) but they stayed alive on satellite until they got smart and stopped running from state rules and regulation and threw themselves at the mercy of the Garden State offering to pay for the expansion of the NJ athletic commission in defining the unified rules of MMA.

In 2000 they were then able to hold the first U.S. sanctioned UFC on cable PPV, the rest is history as just 12 years later MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world - without spending a dime lobbying the federal government.

Online poker will get federal regulation eventually, it's inevitable as there will be so much money involved, state governments infringing on tribal sovereignty, states refusing to pool thereby setting up monopolies, states licensing without sufficient regulation, etc, so there is simply no need to spend one minute or one penny lobbying for federal regulation.

Get a well populated state to not only authorize in attempt to show themselves prepared to be the defacto authorized licensing body under some theoretical federal plan (NV), but actually bring poker online with a willingness to pool, and more states than not will jump in with them, giving congress no choice but to follow.

Interesting UFC story, as there is a huge overlap with gaming-oriented folks from Nevada.

[Skallagrim]

An interesting opinion, I think, from the Chairman of Nevada's Gaming Control Board:

“Our state’s position – and my position personally – as we look at the marketplace is we still support federal legislation,” Lipparelli said.
“Trying to get regulators to cooperate on even the simplest of terms is difficult and to think that there are legislative compromises that must be made in order for online legislation to be passed, once you get past the first or second state partnership I think you get into a matrix that is almost impossible to solve.
“There will be governors … or legislators that stake their name to certain requirements and to think that 5, 6, 10, 12 states will overcome all those objections, all those regulatory complexities, I’m not someone who believes that will happen fast.”
A federal online gambling regime could offer some flexibility for states to mandate certain requirements of their own, yet at the same time it would foster a healthier marketplace, the Nevada Gaming Control Board chairman added.

From: Gambling Compliance
Nevada Set To Deal First Internet Poker Licenses
April 26, 2012
By James Kilsby

[Daniel Ocean]

I read a tweet yesterday that Illinois is thinking of passing some state lottery thing that will have online poker as well. Unfortunately I have no faith in this state not screwing things up.

[Doc T River]

I think the PPA at the national level should concentrate on Washington and the PPA at the state level should concentrate on their particular state. We need both.

[JPFisher55]

Originally Posted by Skallagrim

An interesting opinion, I think, from the Chairman of Nevada's Gaming Control Board:



From: Gambling Compliance
Nevada Set To Deal First Internet Poker Licenses
April 26, 2012
By James Kilsby

Good post, Skall, but we all agree that federal legislation would be ideal for online poker in the US. The disagreement seems to be that some posters believe that federal legislation is a virtual impossibility so the PPA should start concentrating its efforts at the various states considering online poker legalization. However, TE, and the folks running the PPA, have not given up on getting federal legislation so they concentrate on the federal level.

IMO, a good compromise is to concentrate on the federal effort for the rest of this year. If federal legislation is not passed by the end of this year, then I agree that it will not happen in the next few years.

So without such legislation, in 2013, the PPA should reorient its focus, efforts and resources to various state level legalization efforts. This is not an ideal result, but it will be the only practical one without federal legislation this year.