Poker Players Alliance testifies before California Committee
The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) testified today before the California Senate Governmental Organization Committee in a hearing appointed to investigate the possibility of licensing and regulating intrastate internet poker.
“The PPA respects the due-diligence of the Committee to investigate “if” online poker can be regulated, and we stand here to tell you that it unquestionably can be regulated, and in fact, already is being regulated, very effectively, across the globe in well-respected jurisdictions. The U.S. Congress is debating federal bills that would establish a licensed and regulated online poker marketplace, which the PPA strongly supports.” said John Pappas, executive director of the PPA, who testified along with PPA’s California State Director Steven J. Miller.
“Given California’s love affair with poker, the PPA and our members feel strongly that if the state decides to go down the path of intra-state licensed and regulated Internet poker it must do it with the long-term needs of the consumer and of the State and California Tribes in mind.” testified Miller.
The PPA made several observations and suggested the Committee to consider the benefits of having an effective intrastate licensing and regulation. Among the requests made by the PPA are: Respect the consumer, ensure competition to eliminate monopolies, increase innovation and incentive consumers, and protect access to the global poker marketplace. For PPA members, limiting the play to California players will hurt the consumers, and the potential tax revenue for the state of California. If a player can’t find a game online that they want to play, they will simply not play and that means that an opportunity to generate tax revenue is lost.
“A conservative strategy is the favored approach when considering the future of online poker regulation in California. It would be unwise to push “all-in” on an intra-state monopoly that favors a consortium of interests when it is the consumers who ultimately hold the best hand,” concluded Pappas.
Discuss this article in our forum
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Tags: absolut, congress, Ed Miller
