Defending Poker in the United States

Many online poker rooms have decided not to allow American citizens to play on their sites, but luckily many have stuck around and supported the U.S. poker community.  Some of which have joined forces with many poker players across the nation to form a lobbyist group with over a million members.  You can join the grass roots organizations or call your senator to express how feel about not being able to play a simple poker game inside your own home.

Activist and Lobbyist Groups

The Poker Players Alliance
The PPA is a grass roots organization that was formed to fight for your right to play poker in the United States.  There are over a million members in the Poker Players Alliance.  They are well organised and have some high profile board members such as Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer, Greg Raymer, Linda Johnson and former senator Alfonse D'Amato.  A membership will cost $20, but it is well worth it if you want to defend your right to play poker online or at home.  The PPA has fought court battles between states and poker players busted during a poker game at home.  You can visit the website at www.theppa.org/.  The Poker Players Alliance is more important then ever because of the recent closure of American accounts at the top four online poker rooms that were accepting Americans.


Fair Play USA
Fair Play USA is a new grass roots organization.  This organization has Greg Raymer, Parry Aftab and Tom Ridge as advisors.  Fair Play wants to regulate online gaming, give the states the ability to accept or prohibit online poker, give a mandate to the online poker rooms to keep a complete record of identities and transactions, crack down on foreign unlicensed operators and to protect the general American online poker player.  There is a petition at their website www.fairplayerusa.com, which you can sign to help support their and yours cause.


APCW
The APCW is a website dedicated to how online poker rooms, online casinos and their affiliate programs operate.  You can also find out about the changes happening in the online gaming space including potential new legislation, the senators against gambling and the senators for regulated online gaming.  It is mostly used for affiliates, but is also helpful to the online poker and casino players.  You can visit the website at www.apcw.org.