Former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato and Rep. Robert Wexler
(D-Fla.) brought their fight to repeal the UIGEA and
legalize Internet poker to the World Series of Poker
Monday.
D'Amato, chairman and chief lobbyist for the PPA,
urged poker players before the start of play to write
their Senators and Congressman and ask them to repeal
the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.
"Why should Americans not be able to play poker online
when they can bet on the ponies online?" D'Amato asked
the cheering crowd before he kicked off Day 1D play by
yelling "Shuffle up and deal'em."
Later that afternoon, the large field of competitors
paused to hear Wexler talk about returning online
poker to American players.
"A few months ago, the government made a big mistake,"
Wexler said, referring to the passage of Unlawful
Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. "They butted into
the lives of Americans told them they couldn't play
poker."
"Poker is as much our pastime as baseball,"
Wexler told the audience. "It's a game of skill,"
Wexler said as the crowd cheered. Then he urged the
players to write their representatives and support his
proposed legislation allows Americans to gamble on
skill games, including poker.
The crowd roared its approval, and Wexler and D'Amato
continued their tour of the WSOP floor.
D'Amato and Wexler also made time to sit down with
Casino City today to discuss repealing the UIGEA and
creating a skill game UIGEA exception for poker.
AD: I'm fighting for the disenfranchised poker player.
They've lost the right to play on the Internet. They
should have the right to play on the Internet the same
way Americans have the rights to bet on the ponies on the
Internet. They've disenfranchised us. They've
disenfranchised the poor poker player. That's why I've
joined this crusade. They've made us second class
citizens. They've made us thieves. That's the
implication (of the UIGEA). We're a country of
fairness.
VN: What did you think of the WSOP floor?
It's quite something. But imagine how much greater and
more spectacular it would be if you had players
playing on the Internet. What a competition that would
be. That's the kind of thing that this can eventually
be. But the legislation that was surreptitiously
attached to the Safe Ports Act, the Unlawful Internet
Gaming Enforcement Act prevents that. It's one of the
most hypocritical pieces of legislation ever passed
and it was done in a duplicitous way. It says you're
engaged in a criminal act if you're playing poker, but
it's okay to bet on horses, or lotteries, which is every
bit the gambling – if not more than poker.
(At this point, PPA president Michael Bolcerek
interjects and reminds D'Amato that the UIGEA just
makes financial transactions illegal, not poker
playing.)
AD: Let's not be lawyers about this. It deprives you
of the opportunity to play poker. It makes you deal with
criminals. Anyone engaging in the wire transfers is
guilty of criminal conduct. Essentially, they're
banning you from playing poker. They're saying you
can't do in you home what you can do by walking down
the street to a casino.
VN: What about underage gambling?
AD: If you want to stop youngsters from gambling, why
don't you ban horse racing? At least under the
legislation proposed by (Barney) Frank, who's been
heroic, and Wexler, they (online casinos) will have to
use all kinds of sophisticated programs to prevent
underage people from playing on the Internet. The
technology works. And we will show Congress it works.
All this sanctimonious business about how we don't want our
kids to gamble on the Internet; I thought that fell on
the mamma and poppa. I didn't know big-brother
government should step in. I'm going to be 70, why
should I be precluded from gambling online.
VN: What type of pressure does the WTO ruling against
the U.S. bring?
AD: Now we're looking down the barrel of powerful
cannon that's going to blow our trade to smithereens
as a result of the EU, Australia, and others bringing
the same action (as Antigua) against the U.S. It will
result in billions of dollars in penalties. And some
of the biggest companies will be hurt when their IP is
infringed upon. (Antigua and Barbuda is threatening to
lift copyright protections.) Whether it's the
entertainment industry -- Time Warner, Disney –- or
Microsoft, and a number of other leading technologies,
the damage will be real.
VN: The EU says they want access to new markets rather
than money for compensation in the WTO case. Doesn't
that lessen the pressure the U.S. might feel?
AD: It's going to be billions of dollars we lose if
that happens. Carried to its logical conclusion, it
will be a colossal trade war. I can see a scenario
that some that will want the sugar quotas lifted. And
others will want another market opened. It will turn
into a huge battle. And we're wrong. We shouldn't be
involved in this battle.
VN: Many industry experts have called for study on
online gaming. They claim it's the only way to get
data that Congress can use to pass a future law
regulating online gaming. Yet you're pushing directly
for a repeal or skill game exception. Why?
AD: You're hearing that from certain segments of
industry. And those segments are anxious to protect
their businesses. You're not going to stop the Internet
and its utilization for all kinds of economic and
commercial activities. The same companies (that want a
study) will be pushing for repeal soon. Some are
already. Others will move in that direction. And you
can study this until the cows come home. But it's not
going to change.
VN: How are you going to get the votes needed to pass
any legislation?
AD: We're going to pick up the votes -- I'm just not
sure we're going to pick up the votes before the WTO
violation of law on our part. The WTO ruling plus a
million members (editor's note: the PPA currently has
almost 600,000 members) gives us critical mass. But
members have to call Congress and write into them. And
not just a form letter. The have to tell them what
they think and feel. And the educational process we're
engaged in before the mark up for the Frank bill to
show (Congress) that programs keep youngsters on the
Internet away from poker will help.
VN: I know you love to play poker Senator. How come
you're not playing in the Main Event?
AD: I didn't enter the World Series because if I did,
I would obviously make the final table, and that would
take a week. Unfortunately, I have some things to do
back in New York, so I couldn't enter.
Congressman Wexler's turn
VN: Why go for a skill gaming exception rather than an
outright appeal of UIGEA?
RW: Barney (Frank) wants to undo the whole law. I went
after poker and games of skill because that's the best
argument that Americans understand. 'Why can't you
play in your kitchen and not online?' Poker is a game
of skill where there's no house. You play against
other people who want to play you. I would also favor
an outright appeal as well.
VN: You're obviously passionate about the issue. Why?
RW: People are passionate about games of skill, like
poker, and Congress has no business dictating the
venues in which they're played.
People have been playing (poker) on the kitchen
table, in the house, and in the halls of Congress
for centuries. The idea to ban it on the Internet is
illogical. Add on (legal) betting on horse racing and
lotteries online, and there's no legitimate case for
not letting people bet on poker online. We'll prevent
underage gambling with the technology. And money
laundering too.
VN: What kind of impact has the WTO ruling against the
U.S. had?
RW:Other nations are bringing the U.S task. And an
amended schedule has enormous financial
implications as well. But we shouldn't be violating
the WTO. We can't expect China, India and Europe to
respect the WTO if we don't.
VN: Have you heard from the Microsoft's and Disney's
of the world asking about Antigua and Barbuda's threat
to suspend copyright protections?
RW: We haven't yet, but we will. And rightfully so.
The prohibition of online poker and games of skill are
just registering with people. They're just learning
what the ramifications will be. And that will affect
all sorts of elements of our economy.
VN: Any final thoughts?
RW: Prohibition didn't work when we tried to outlaw
alcohol. And it's not going to work if we try to
outlaw poker. It's going to result in poker players
using offshore sites that expose them to financial
fraud. It's counterproductive.
VN: Do you play poker?
RW: I play casually.
VN: What did you think of the WSOP floor?
RW: I wish more people could see the WSOP. It shows
there's an extraordinary enthusiasm for the game of
skill.