Hey guys,
Hope you are all well.
Bit of an update with this.
Activism
We have had some good track through with our contact MP form. We are getting closer to having 1000 people email their MP but we still need much more than that.
So if you haven't yet please go to this site and leave your details - literally takes less than 1 minute -
http://www.taxpayers.org.au/keep_online_poker_legal
Politics
We have some meetings booked in over the next couple of weeks. I am still trying to organise a few more.
I am trying to get a meeting with the Minister. I have contacted his office asking for a meeting as has my local MP on my behalf. We haven't heard anything concrete yet but this is not unusual and isn't concerning. If we haven't heard back in a week then I will be looking at upping the ante and using social media to request a meeting on behalf of poker players.
All in all the MPs I (or others) have spoken to have given me the impression that they don't think our request is unreasonable which is great. I am hoping that the more positive letters that we get from MPs to the Minister the more likely we can get his attention and hopefully get the change we need.
Awareness
I have had some chats with a few bigger name poker players and some sport and media types who have shown interest in supporting our cause to raise awareness. I am hoping to hold a fundraising/awareness tournament and have spoken to the Star as well as a major pub poker operator about doing this with us. Nothing concrete yet but I will let you know how that goes.
We have also provided some quotes to some mainstream newspapers which will be good if that gets published (hopefully this week but who knows).
I also had a chat with the journalist at Pokernews who was covering this and am going to organise to work with him on an article on Pokernews to help raise more awareness about our campaign.
Action
Can I ask you guys if you have received a response from your MP that you post it here?
Also if you haven't received a response let us know too. It will be good to keep track of who is answering and who isn't for later reference.
Obviously if you haven't contacted yet. Hit the link above and do it. We need a lot more people. Please get your friends and relatives to contact as well. Literally anyone that is on the electoral roll can get in touch. There is no such thing as too many people contacting.
Obviously nobody is obliged to but If you want to keep contributing $ please send to 'JosephDel' on Pokerstars. I have three adds running on FB and Instagram atm (you hopefully have seen these). They are going quite well so I would like to keep this going. I also have some trips to Adelaide and Canberra coming up for politician meetings that I need to fund. Happy to cover these myself if I have to as they were my idea to go. In saying that any help is appreciated.
I think that sums up most things. I will keep plugging away from here.
Thanks for your help and support guys.
JoeyDel
facebook.com/AustralianOnlinePokerAlliance
@AustOnlinePoker