articles:
Poker players, Frank hope to overturn online ban (South Coast Today, 05/04/08)

Lobbyists Reach for Grass Roots (The Wall Street Journal, 05/03/08)

Presidential Candidate Ron Paul Talks About UIGEA (CardPlayer, 05/02/08)

Betting rules confuse banks (Miami Herald, 05/02/08)

LETTERS: Web gambling ban totally unworkable (Las Vegas Review-Journal, 05/04/08)

Lawmakers eye poker proceeds (Concord Monitor, 05/03/08)

excerpts:
Poker players, Frank hope to overturn online ban (South Coast Today, 05/04/08)
“The odds might not be in his favor, but U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., has gained a valuable ally in his fight to overturn a 2006 law banning online gambling. Poker Players Alliance, a grass-roots organization fighting for poker players’ rights, has put its chips on Rep. Frank’s proposal.”

Lobbyists Reach for Grass Roots (The Wall Street Journal, 05/03/08)
“In a Congress preoccupied by the economy, the Poker Players Allaince knew it would take some populist bluffing to repeal a law effectively outlawing poker Web sites. The group, whose chairman is former New York Republican Sen. Alfonse D’Amato, rallied the champions among its one million members to win a spot on the agendas of lawmakers guiding financial-services legislation.”

Presidential Candidate Ron Paul Talks About UIGEA (CardPlayer, 05/02/08)
“Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul is one of those rare politicians who seems to be in office for reasons other than ego or personal gain. Closer to being a Libertarian than a contemporary Republican, he has served more than 10 years representing Texans in the House of Representatives since 1976 (he’s been in office since 1997, but served two other times). He believes the government should stay as far out of Americans’ lives as possible and sees the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) as a dangerous precedent in the battle to regulate the Internet.”

Betting rules confuse banks (Miami Herald, 05/02/08)
“Some horseracing fans looking to place online bets for the 134th Kentucky Derby this weekend may find their transactions blocked by banks and credit card companies trying to avoid running afoul of unclear federal regulations, gaming and banking industry experts said Thursday. ‘Unless the government takes the responsibility of telling the banks which merchants they shouldn’t deal with, and when banks take the position that they are not going to process these transactions without guidance, all heck will break loose,” said Tony Cabot, an attorney with the Las Vegas firm Lewis and Roca, which represents the Nevada Pari-Mutuel Association.”

LETTERS: Web gambling ban totally unworkable (Las Vegas Review-Journal, 05/04/08)
“As the Nevada director for the Poker Players Alliance, a grass-roots poker advocacy group with more than 1 million members nationwide and 12,870 in Nevada, I was concerned to read that Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., wants to speed up enforcement of the vaguely and broadly written law banning Internet gambling — the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (”Internet gambling ban architect frustrated with regulation delays,” Wednesday Review-Journal).”

Lawmakers eye poker proceeds (Concord Monitor, 05/03/08)
“Poker lovers across New Hampshire have found a place to play for money at the state’s proliferating charitable game rooms. Now, many lawmakers are eyeing a cut for the state. The so-called poker tax plan won a big endorsement when, as he announced the state’s widening budget shortfall this week, Gov. John Lynch’s announced his support for the tax. Lynch called the idea a way to “close the loophole” on charitable game taxes (the state already taxes bingo and Lucky 7 games).”

articles:
Bill to stop UIGEA gains supporters (Poker Listings, 04/30/08)

Internet gambling ban architect frustrated with regulation delays (Las Vegas Review-Journal, 04/30/08)

Senate committee proposes 18% gambling tax (The Telegraph, 05/01/08 - NH)

Poker fans gain ally in Washington state (PokerListings, 04/29/08 - WA)

Higher stakes gambling could be on ballot (Denver Post, 04/29/08 - CO)

L.I. Cops Arrest Man for Running Gambling Hall (1010 Wins, 04/28/08 - NY)

Poker Players Fight the Law in South Carolina (CardPlayer, 04/28/08 - SC)

EDITORIAL: Overturning the Web gambling ban (Las Vegas Review-Journal, 04/26/08)

Seidel’s success puts him atop POY list (PokerListings, 04/26/08)

Proving Poker is a Game of Skill (Poker Player Newspaper, 04/27/08)

River Card Room gets a full house on weekends (Union Leader, 04/26/08 - NH)

Table games income jumps (The Charleston Gazette, 04/29/08 - WV)

First poker hands dealt at Fort Pierce Jai-Alai (TCPalm, 04/28/08 - FL)

State lawmakers ponder legalizing Internet horse wagers (WQAD, 04/28/08 - IL)

Investor seeks Ohio casino (The Enquirer, 05/01/08 - OH)

Two jailed over million-kronor poker tournament (The Local, 04/29/08)

media:
Lee Rousso Fights for Online Poker (Online Casino Reports, 04/30/08 - WA) [video]

excerpts:
Bill to stop UIGEA gains supporters (Poker Listings, 04/30/08)
“Thursday was a busy day for Barney Frank and Ron Paul’s bill to stop the implementation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Ten representatives signed on as cosponsors to support H.R. 5767 that day. H.R. 5767 was introduced in the House of Representatives April 10 by Frank (D-Mass.) with Paul (R-Texas) as its initial cosponsor. The bill is meant to prevent the Treasury Department and U.S. Federal Reserve from continuing work on the UIGEA.”

Internet gambling ban architect frustrated with regulation delays (Las Vegas Review-Journal, 04/30/08)
“The chief architect of the Internet gambling ban on Tuesday said he is losing patience with the Federal Reserve and the Department of Treasury as they struggle to craft regulations to enforce the ban. Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said the regulations are a year overdue, according to the 2006 prohibition statute. “The longer it goes the less certainty there is,” said Kyl, who was the first lawmaker to launch an effort to ban Internet gambling in 1996.”

Senate committee proposes 18% gambling tax (The Telegraph, 05/01/08 - NH)
“An 18 percent sales tax on bets at poker tournaments gained a pivotal approval from a State Senate committee this week. The new levy is a tradeoff in exchange for increasing the allowed bets at such games from $2 to $5. But gaming operators and their lobbyists warned such a high levy would put them out of business costing the charities in the state millions a year in lost revenue.”

Poker fans gain ally in Washington state (PokerListings, 04/29/08 - WA)
“Online poker players in Washington have another ally in their battle against the online gambling ban in the state. In a radio interview last week, gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi expressed his opposition to the ban.”

Higher stakes gambling could be on ballot (Denver Post, 04/29/08 - CO)
“One attempt to raise the betting limit at Colorado casinos died today in a Senate committe, but another one is still alive. The committee rejected a proposal to ask voters to get rid of the $5 bet limit to bring in millions in extra tax revenue, partly because of fears of cluttering the November ballot with too many proposals. But casinos are working on a ballot initiative of their own that would open the door to raising the bet limit up to $100, as well as expanding casino hours and adding roulette and craps games.”

L.I. Cops Arrest Man for Running Gambling Hall (1010 Wins, 04/28/08 - NY)
“Police say a Long Island man was running an illegal gambling hall where players would bet in cash games and tournaments. Suffolk County Police say an undercover investigation at the William Paca Lodge in West Babylon revealed that about 25 to 35 people were betting on card games nightly.”

Poker Players Fight the Law in South Carolina (CardPlayer, 04/28/08 - SC)
“In South Carolina authorities have taken up the task of wiping out home poker by investigating games and then raiding them with force usually reserved for drug busts. The law the police are using to nail these players has been on the books since 1802 and restricts the playing of any type of game in one’s home that uses dice or cards.”

EDITORIAL: Overturning the Web gambling ban (Las Vegas Review-Journal, 04/26/08)
“If repeal of legislation won’t fly, neutering it just might Rep. Barney Frank, chairman of the House Committee on Financial Services, has long been a foe of the federal ban on Internet gambling. He’s failed so far, however, to muster enough support to repeal the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. So he and others are now trying another approach: telling federal bureaucrats to pretend the law doesn’t exist.”

Seidel’s success puts him atop POY list (PokerListings, 04/26/08)
“While the rest of the world is enjoying a poker boom, the players who kicked it off in the United States are still struggling against the UIGEA. Seidel says he remains hopeful that better days are ahead for online poker. “I get the sense more recently that the legislation and the public is starting to move our way,” said Seidel. “I think it was really significant that the Poker Players Alliance got to one million members recently. I think that’ll give us some clout.”

Proving Poker is a Game of Skill (Poker Player Newspaper, 04/27/08)
“How can we make poker legal? The cleanest way is to get a statute passed through the state legislature. In my book, Gambling And The Law, I show how California became the draw poker capital of the world because the state enacted laws in the 19th century that outlawed specific games, like 21 and faro, but left draw poker off the list.”

River Card Room gets a full house on weekends (Union Leader, 04/26/08 - NH)
“The River Card Room, a poker hall in Granite Town Plaza that gives a percentage of its profits to charity, is celebrating its grand opening this weekend. The River Card Room, offering 25 tables of Texas Hold’em poker, has been up and running since January and has raised more than $40,000 for local charities, according to spokesman James Engel.”

Table games income jumps (The Charleston Gazette, 04/29/08 - WV)
“Gross receipts for casino-style table games at two Northern Panhandle resorts jumped 14 percent in March, topping $7.4 million, according to figures from the state Lottery Commission. Table games at Mountaineer Racetrack and Wheeling Island have taken in $26 million since their launch late last year. Both tracks began operating a limited number of poker tables in mid-November, then launched a full array of table games late in December.”

First poker hands dealt at Fort Pierce Jai-Alai (TCPalm, 04/28/08 - FL)
“Deal ‘em. The long-awaited new poker room at the Fort Pierce Fronton opened at 6 p.m. Monday and will be open seven days a week. “The state just finished up their final inspection and we will be open this evening,” fronton assistant general manager Stu Neiman said Monday afternoon.”

State lawmakers ponder legalizing Internet horse wagers (WQAD, 04/28/08 - IL)
“Betting track officials say Illinois is squandering an opportunity with Internet betting. State legislators could be ready this spring to approve betting on horse races over the Internet or telephone. Roy Arnold is the president at Arlington Park in Chicago’s suburbs.”

Investor seeks Ohio casino (The Enquirer, 05/01/08 - OH)
“Casino operator and World Poker Tour co-founder Lyle Berman has joined the coalition seeking to legalize gambling in Ohio to build a destination gambling resort in Wilmington. Though Ohio voters have shot down gambling referendums twice in the last 10 years, Berman says he likes the odds for MyOhioNow.com, which is trying to gather 402,225 signatures to place a constitutional amendment on the fall ballot.”

Two jailed over million-kronor poker tournament (The Local, 04/29/08)
“Two men have been jailed by a court in western Sweden after they were found guilty of organizing an illegal million-kronor poker tournament involving 700 people. The men were sentenced by Uddevalla District Court to six months and eight months in jail respectively. Of the four remaining men charged in the case, two were fined the equivalent of 80 days’ wages and two were cleared of the charges of illegal gambling.”

media:
Lee Rousso Fights for Online Poker (Online Casino Reports, 04/30/08 - WA) [video]
“Ahead of his May 15 Constitutional challenge in a Washington state court, Mr. Lee Rousso has talked to us about poker politics.”

articles:
Poker Player Get Political (Bluff Magazine, 04/08)

Kyl, Bachus Pen Pro-UIGEA Letter to Congress (PokerSourceOnline, 04/24/08)

A Race to the Finish (Interactive Gaming News, 04/24/08)

Opinion: Problem with poker gambling raid is hypocrisy of it all (The Post and Courier, 04/25/08 - SC)

Town sues sheriff over bingo (Montgomery Advertiser, 04/24/08 - AL)

press release:
Ron Paul, Jim McDermott Headline the PocketFives.com Podcast (PocketFives, 04/24/08)

excerpts:
Poker Player Get Political (Bluff Magazine, 04/08)
“Eleven months later, Williamson sat at a conference table in Sessions’ Dallas office next to fellow poker pro Clonie Gowen, Poker Players Alliance executive director John Pappas, and a variety of poker enthusiasts from in or around Sessions’ district. There was a psychiatrist and addiction specialist there to discuss the concerns of online poker being dangerous, a man who ran a small business making poker tables, poker blogger Dan Michalski, and one of his home game participants.”

Kyl, Bachus Pen Pro-UIGEA Letter to Congress (PokerSourceOnline, 04/24/08)
“Senator John Kyl (R-AZ) and Representative Spencer Bachus (R-AL) are getting nervous. Two of Capitol Hill’s staunchest opponents of online gambling, they have to know that, despite the fact that they got the UIGEA passed in 2006, the number of voices opposed to the law is growing larger. And louder. Representatives Barney Frank (D-MA) and Ron Paul (R-TX) recently introduced H.R. 5767, a bill calling for the repeal of the UIGEA. In response, Kyl and Bachus wrote a letter to Congress, urging them to ignore the bill.”

A Race to the Finish (Interactive Gaming News, 04/24/08)
“Visibly, U.S. lawmakers this month have beefed up legislative activity with respect to Internet gambling. As the coming election stands to cut the 110th Congress short, legislators are working feverishly to wrap up their I-gaming agendas before adjourning in late September. In early April, Representatives Barney Frank, Democrat of Massachusetts, and Ron Paul, Republican of Texas, jointly introduced H.R. 5767, a bill that would prevent the implementation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling and Enforcement Act regulations.”

Opinion: Problem with poker gambling raid is hypocrisy of it all (The Post and Courier, 04/25/08 - SC)
“My wife’s bridge group, eight ladies of a certain age, met at our house the other week. They play for (gasp!) money. Each puts 50 cents in the pot and when play for the day is over the one scoring the most points takes home a cool $2.50. The runner-up gets the rest as a consolation prize. “You realize, of course, you’re breaking the law,” I said. “Didn’t you read in the paper about all those poker players arrested by the sheriff?”

Town sues sheriff over bingo (Montgomery Advertiser, 04/24/08 - AL)
“A financially strapped north Alabama town has sued the Madison County sheriff saying that raids of two bingo halls in Triana eliminated a major source of tax income. The seizure of machines in a March raid took away the town’s right to collect taxes from charitable bingo organizations, including taxes on facilities and machines, according to the suit filed Friday in Huntsville’s federal court.”

Pittsfield lawmaker criticizes pocket veto of gaming bill (Bangor Daily News, 04/24/08 - ME)
“A Pittsfield lawmaker criticized Gov. John Baldacci on Thursday for refusing to sign a gaming bill sent to him at the close of this year’s legislative sessions. Republican Rep. Stacy Fitts said LD 2236 was designed to streamline procedures under which non-profit organizations may run cribbage tournaments, card games and other fundraising activities.”

press release:
Ron Paul, Jim McDermott Headline the PocketFives.com Podcast (PocketFives, 04/24/08)
“This week, the PocketFives.com Podcast features one of the most influential Congressmen on Capitol Hill plus a lawmaker looking to extract tax revenue for the Federal Government from internet gambling. Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) just introduced HR 5767, a groundbreaking piece of legislation that would stop the Federal Government from putting the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act into place. He teamed up with a colleague from across the aisle, Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) for the bill, which could bring sweeping change to the online poker industry in the United States.”

articles:
Bill legalizing poker at residents’ homes busts in SC House (Charlotte Observer, 04/23/08 - SC)

Pair gambling on trial for residential card game (San Mateo Daily Journal, 04/24/08 - CA)

Gambling bet pays off (Boston Herald, 04/24/08 - PA)

San Nicolas opposes ‘limited gaming’ bill (Marianas Variety, 04/24/08)

excerpts:
Bill legalizing poker at residents’ homes busts in SC House (Charlotte Observer, 04/23/08 - SC)
“Legislators have folded on a bill that would legalize kitchen table poker. A measure legalizing recreational poker games in homes was sent back to a House panel on Wednesday without debate. The move ends the bill’s chances of passing this year. State law currently bans any game with cards or dice. Representative Wallace Scarborough has said a friendly game of cards should be legal.”

Pair gambling on trial for residential card game (San Mateo Daily Journal, 04/24/08 - CA)
“Two people arrested at an illegal poker game in San Mateo — one man for allegedly hosting the illicit card tournaments and a woman for reportedly bringing her teenage son to play — are gambling on a jury trial in June to clear them of their respective misdemeanor charges. Cutburto Cardenas, 42, and Patricia McCoy, 48, have both pleaded not guilty. At a hearing yesterday, both the San Mateo homeowner and the Hillsborough Realtor postponed a pretrial conference until May 6 and re-set the jury trial for June 9.”

Gambling bet pays off (Boston Herald, 04/24/08 - PA)
“Eat your heart out, Massachusetts. Every Pennsylvania homeowner will be getting a 10 percent tax rebate check this summer because of the Keystone State’s approval of casino gambling. And pro-casino lawmakers here say Massachusetts homeowners could - and should - be enjoying a similar tax break.”

San Nicolas opposes ‘limited gaming’ bill (Marianas Variety, 04/24/08)
“House Bill 16-83 was introduced by House Minority Leader Oscar M. Babauta, Covenant-Saipan. H.B. 16-83, or the “Video Gaming and Entertainment Card Games Act of 2008” proposes to authorize the operation of video lottery terminal devices, video poker and other video gaming, Texas Hold’em and other limited card games within the 3rd senatorial district, preferably at the former La Fiesta shopping mall.”

articles:
Stop work on enforcing Web gambling ban, lawmakers urge (Las Vegas Review-Journal, 04/23/08)

Lakewood City Council might end ban on minicasinos soon (The News Tribune, 04/23/08 - WA)

Senator betting on new gaming tax (Nashua Telegraph, 04/23/08 - NH)

Two states look at expanding poker (PokerListings, 04/22/08)

Poker fundraisers forced to fold ‘em (North Bay Nugget, 04/23/08)

media:
Fox Business Interview with Jeffrey Sandman (SSIGI, 04/22/08)

press release:
House Financial Services Committee Members Call on Congress to Prevent Implementation of Internet Gambling Ban (SSIGI, 04/23/08)

blogs:
Poker and the Law (House of Cards Radio, 04/22/08)

excerpts:
Stop work on enforcing Web gambling ban, lawmakers urge (Las Vegas Review-Journal, 04/23/08)
“Work on federal regulations to enforce an Internet gambling ban should stop, four lawmakers said in letters this week to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. “Given the many other priorities that are pending at your agencies, including the mortgage crisis … we believe it would be imprudent for you to devote additional agency resources to this Sisyphean task,” the lawmakers wrote. Sisyphus was a king in Greek mythology who was condemned to repeatedly roll a huge boulder up a hill only to watch it roll down again.”

Lakewood City Council might end ban on minicasinos soon (The News Tribune, 04/23/08 - WA)
“Lakewood’s 27-month ban on new minicasinos might end soon. In a vote tonight, the City Council could drop the moratorium, which has placed Lakewood in defiance of state gambling rules, and add zoning controls that allow new minicasinos. The establishments could open only along the Interstate 5 corridor where four are already located. The seven elected officials would thus bar house-banked cardrooms from most neighborhoods and the central business district, including Towne Center.”

Senator betting on new gaming tax (Nashua Telegraph, 04/23/08 - NH)
“Operators of wildly popular Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments that benefit New Hampshire charities don’t give a cut to the state and a state senator wants to change that. Sen. Robert Odell, R-Lempster, proposed Tuesday a 10 percent tax, contending this is a “big and getting bigger” industry that attracts at least $50 million and as much as $100 million in bets each year.”

Two states look at expanding poker (PokerListings, 04/22/08)
“Both Florida and Colorado are looking at measures that could expand the game of poker in both states. According to the Palm Beach Post, the Florida Senate has approved allowing around-the-clock poker play on weekends and 18-hour days during the week in the state.”

Poker fundraisers forced to fold ‘em (North Bay Nugget, 04/23/08)
“A monthly Texas hold’em tournament at the Rorab Shrine Club in North Bay has folded after provincial inspectors put the kibosh on several unsanctioned games in Timmins. Mac Bain, a city councillor who helped organize the local tournaments, said the club stopped hosting the poker games after several establishments in Timmins were advised in March by an inspector with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario that such card tournaments are illegal.”

media:
Fox Business Interview with Jeffrey Sandman (SSIGI, 04/22/08)
“Interview with the Spokesman for the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative, Jeffrey Sandman”

press release:
House Financial Services Committee Members Call on Congress to Prevent Implementation of Internet Gambling Ban (SSIGI, 04/23/08)
“The Chairman of the House Committee on Financial Services and other leading committee members are seeking broad support for new legislation that would stop the U.S. government from taking any steps to implement regulations that require U.S. financial institutions to police Internet gambling.”

blogs:
Poker and the Law (House of Cards Radio, 04/22/08)
“I’ve just finished doing a few radio shows over the past two weeks — four shows to be exact. Half were about poker rooms; half were about the legalization of poker in the United States — especially the liberalization of poker laws regarding internet poker.”

articles:
2 ordered to stand trial in Hempfield poker case (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 04/19/08 - PA)

Proposal would abolish $5 bet limit in Colorado casinos (KRDO, 04/21/08 - CO)

Paper explores legality of poker tournaments (The Daily Tar Heel, 04/21/08 - NC)

Florida Poker Scene (Poker Player Newspaper, 04/14/08 - FL)

Online poker group antes up (Politico, 04/21/08)

Mohawk territory gambling on a risky business (Toronto Star, 04/19/08)

press release:
Congressman Robert Wexler Joins the PocketFives.com Podcast (PocketFives, 04/20/08)

excerpts:
2 ordered to stand trial in Hempfield poker case (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 04/19/08 - PA)
“Two Westmoreland County men were held for trial Friday on charges of operating illegal Texas Hold’Em poker tournaments last year at the Fort Allen Volunteer Fire Department in Hempfield. Attorneys for Ronald Boggs and James Earl Miller unsuccessfully argued during a hearing before District Judge Mark Mansour the cases should not be prosecuted under the state’s gambling statutes because poker is a game of skill, not chance.”

Proposal would abolish $5 bet limit in Colorado casinos (KRDO, 04/21/08 - CO)
“A new proposal at the state Capitol would ask voters to eliminate the $5 bet limit on poker, blackjack and slot machines at Colorado casinos. The proposal from Democratic Sen. Ron Tupa of Boulder was released Monday. The proposal must be approved by two-thirds of the members of the House and Senate in order to get on November’s ballot. Voters would have the final say.”

Paper explores legality of poker tournaments (The Daily Tar Heel, 04/21/08 - NC)
“Nourish International’s annual Hold ‘Em For Hunger poker tournament was scheduled for Sunday. The event was canceled in March because of concerns about its legality, an issue addressed by a UNC law student in an award-winning paper. Blake Griffin’s paper, “North Carolina Gambling Law: Joker Club LLC v. Hardin,” compared Nourish’s annual poker fundraiser to a recent case in which a company wanted to open a poker club in Durham County but couldn’t because gambling is illegal in North Carolina.”

Florida Poker Scene (Poker Player Newspaper, 04/14/08 - FL)
“In my opinion, after Nevada, California, and Oklahoma, Florida is now the fourth best state for low-limit poker. It has not always been so. In 1996 Florida legalized poker-sort of. They allowed games of minimal stakes, so small that the size of the entire pot could not get above $10. Players would bet 25 cents or 50 cents until the pot grew to $10; and then all betting would cease, with the dealer dealing out the remaining cards with no betting.”

Online poker group antes up (Politico, 04/21/08)
“The deck may still be stacked against online poker enthusiasts, but an advocacy group that represents them is suddenly holding a whole lot of chips. The Poker Players Alliance is expected to announce Tuesday that it has registered more than one million members and will be organizing both a political action committee and a voter-registration drive as part of its “If You Play, Have a Say” campaign.”

Mohawk territory gambling on a risky business (Toronto Star, 04/19/08)
“The handful of poker dens that have sprouted up in this proud Mohawk territory of about 10,000 people is just a fraction of the lucrative gambling operation that has taken root along the St. Lawrence River’s south shore. It seems an unlikely area – one heavily steeped in honour and tradition – for such a risky business to flourish.”

press release:
Congressman Robert Wexler Joins the PocketFives.com Podcast (PocketFives, 04/20/08)
“The month of April has been a roller coaster ride for online poker players in Washington, D.C., where bills in Congress would undo the harm inflicted by the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which was passed back in 2006 by a Republican regime. Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) is at the forefront of the fight for online poker players and has introduced HR 2610, the Skill Game Protection Act. The bill would exempt poker, bridge, mah jong, and other games of skill from the UIGEA and Wire Act of 1961, providing immediate relief for online poker players.”

articles:
Sentence suspended for gaming charges (Anchorage Daily News, 04/18/08)

Raymer still fighting the good fight (PokerListings, 04/18/08)

Poland is Closer to Regulating Online Poker Online Gambling (PokerPages, 04/18/08)

Move to make Scotland’s first poker club legitimate (Evening Times, 04/18/07)

excerpts:
Sentence suspended for gaming charges (Anchorage Daily News, 04/18/08)
“The last of eight people charged with operating an illegal poker room in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough was sentenced Wednesday afternoon. Like all the others, Samuel Henry received no time behind bars. He was given a two-year suspended sentence and ordered to perform 40 hours of community service in an agreement reached with the District Attorney’s Office.”


Raymer still fighting the good fight (PokerListings, 04/18/08)
Even though he won’t be on the campaign trail, Raymer still has an interest in the politics of poker - and he says he feels good about Washington starting to “get it” that there’s nothing wrong with the great American game. “I’ve met a pretty good number of congressmen, and all (of them) seemed personally very convinced that poker is a game of skill and therefore shouldn’t be treated as if it were a pure form of gambling such as roulette.”

Poland is Closer to Regulating Online Poker Online Gambling (PokerPages, 04/18/08)
“Poland is getting closer to regulating online poker and gambling on the Internet, as eGaming Review noted that reports from Poland suggest that the framework to regulate online gaming and betting will be set up in the second part of this year.”

Move to make Scotland’s first poker club legitimate (Evening Times, 04/18/07)
“THE owners of Scotland’s first poker club are bidding to make the business legitimate - almost three years after it opened. The Cincinnati Club, on Glasgow’s South Side, which was once raided by police as part of an illegal gambling probe, has been operating without planning permission since 2005.”

articles:
Cali. Intrastate Online Poker Room Bill Moves Forward (CardPlayer, 04/17/08 - CA)

Debating South Carolina Gambling Law (WCIV, 04/16/08 - SC)

More poker players plead to misdemeanors (The Post and Courier, 04/16/08 - SC)

City plans to ease cost of social gaming (Wilsonville Spokesmsn, 04/17/08 - OR)

Poker: Lawmakers’ efforts could benefit players, banks (San Antonio Express-News, 04/16/08)

media:
Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) (PocketFives, 04/17/08) [audio]

excerpts:
Cali. Intrastate Online Poker Room Bill Moves Forward (CardPlayer, 04/17/08 - CA)
“A bill that would authorize the study of intrastate online poker in California moved forward yesterday when the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee (AGOC) unanimously sent the bill forward to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. AB 2026 calls for the California Gambling Control Commission and the Department of Justice to perform a study on authorizing intrastate online poker in California. If passed, the study is to be presented to California Legislature by June 30, 2009.”

Debating South Carolina Gambling Law (WCIV, 04/16/08 - SC)
“South Carolina law makers are taking about gambling laws, while it was another day in court for those accused of illegal gambling. More than two dozen men appeared in Hanahan municipal court Wednesday morning. About half pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and were fined. In all 65 have been charged on 191 counts after a Charleston county raid 2 weeks ago. “What happened in Hanahan is what we don’t want to happen, that is the type of game we want shut down,” said Rep. Wallace Scarborough.”

More poker players plead to misdemeanors (The Post and Courier, 04/16/08)
“About two dozen poker players accused of illegal gambling appeared in Hanahan Municipal Court Wednesday morning and about half pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges, though the fate of thousands of dollars in seized assets is likely to remain in the air for some time. For those who pleaded guilty, Judge Victor Revelise imposed a $257 fine for the charge of unlawful games and betting. Others received a continuance that postpones their court dates for another two weeks. Others await jury trials.”

City plans to ease cost of social gaming (Wilsonville Spokesmsn, 04/17/08)
“Not all gambling is gambling under the law. Some gambling is considered “social gaming” — legal gambling, if it adheres to certain regulations. First, the game must take place in a private residence; second, it cannot include house odds, a house player or house bank; and lastly, the house cannot make money on the game.”

Poker: Lawmakers’ efforts could benefit players, banks (San Antonio Express-News, 04/16/08)
“There is a law in place in San Antonio and many other cities throughout the country that prohibits the playing of loud bass music in a motor vehicle. You know, that thumping tremor-producing sound from a high-dollar stereo that rattles windows and can be heard and felt blocks away from the source. The law has good intentions as a means to keep the peace, but it’s missing a key ingredient for a law — it’s unenforceable. I have yet to ever see or hear of a person given a ticket for excessive bass.”

media:
Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) (PocketFives, 04/17/08) [audio]
“US Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) joins us to talk about The Skill Game Protection Act.”

articles:
Legislators skirt revising gaming law (The Post and Courier, 04/16/08 - SC)

Police raid Bangor poker tournament (Bangor Daily News, 04/16/08 - ME)

Viewpoint: Ex-candidate deals his own hand against gambling act (The Daily Gamecock, 04/16/08)

Shooting dice comes up trouble for 4 men (Daily Leader, 04/15/08 - MS)

Bill would halve budget for gambling treatment (The Des Moines Register, 04/16/08 - IA)

blogs:
ePassporte no longer available for poker players (Dead Money, 04/15/08)

The Pros Speak (Again): Howard Lederer (Poker From the Rail, 04/15/08)

The Pros Speak: Chris Ferguson (Poker From the Rail, 04/08/08)

excerpts:
Legislators skirt revising gaming law (The Post and Courier, 04/16/08 - SC)
“Some of them say it’s silly that Monopoly, Go Fish and arcade games are against the law. And some might even believe it’s a waste of police time to bust penny-ante kitchen-table poker games. But don’t expect state lawmakers to do anything about it anytime soon. That’s one debate that’s just too controversial to take up in the General Assembly right now.”

Police raid Bangor poker tournament (Bangor Daily News, 04/16/08 - ME)
“When Maine State Police raided the 24-Hour Club on Lincoln Street on Sunday afternoon, they found three tables covered with poker chips and about 30 people playing poker. What they didn’t find was a tournament games license to hold the card game, Lt. David Bowler, commanding officer for the state police special investigation unit, said Tuesday.”

Viewpoint: Ex-candidate deals his own hand against gambling act (The Daily Gamecock, 04/16/08)
“Ron Paul is all-in. Though better known for his failed presidential run and undeniably cool blimp, the Texas representative has introduced HR 5767, which would effectively eliminate enforcement of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Paul, along with Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank, revealed the bill shortly after a House Financial Services Committee hearing entitled “UIGEA Regulations: Burden Without Benefit?”

Shooting dice comes up trouble for 4 men (Daily Leader, 04/15/08 - MS)
“Police Chief Pap Henderson said while arrests for gambling are rare in Brookhaven, it is an illegal activity to play cards, shoot dice or play other games of risk for money. “Gambling in the city of Brookhaven is illegal, especially in the presence of a law enforcement officer,” he said.”

Bill would halve budget for gambling treatment (The Des Moines Register, 04/16/08 - IA)
“Legislators are poised to cut gambling-addiction treatment money roughly in half, at a time when the casino industry is seeing record business. A spending bill being crafted by a Senate committee would cut $2.9 million in state money for gambling-addiction treatment programs, Iowa Department of Public Health officials estimate. It would leave about $2.2 million, plus several hundred thousand dollars expected to be left over from the current year’s $5.1 million budget.”

blogs:
ePassporte no longer available for poker players (Dead Money, 04/15/08)
“With satellites for the World Series of Poker heating up online, some players will have to find a different way to get money deposited into their accounts. Numerous poker Web sites are reporting that e-wallet service ePassporte has pulled the plug on its customers in the U.S. market.”

The Pros Speak (Again): Howard Lederer (Poker From the Rail, 04/15/08)
“In our last post, Chris Ferguson sat down and shared his thoughts on the UIGEA and the state of online poker. This week, we were able to talk to Howard Lederer and get his perspective as well. Speaking as a PPA board member, he discussed what he sees as a favorable future for online poker. Here’s what Howard had to say, in his own words:”

The Pros Speak: Chris Ferguson (Poker From the Rail, 04/08/08)
“Following the recent UIGEA hearings in Washington D.C., there’s been more positive coverage (a bit of light at the end of the tunnel?!) of the state of affairs for online poker. In brief, it’s been clearly established that there isn’t an effective method in place for blocking transactions that fund something called “illegal wagering,” banks can’t and won’t effectively police this, and no one has been able to identify exactly what unlawful Internet gambling is. On the whole, it’s extremely vague and incredibly ineffective at achieving any positive end.”

articles:
Bankers cheer Frank-Paul approach to Web gambling (The Hill, 04/14/08)

Internet poker site operator doubts ban will be lifted anytime soon (Las Vegas Review-Journal, 04/15/08)

Raid cracks high-stakes poker ring in Long View (Hickory Daily Record, 04/15/08 - NC)

Eleven arrested in gambling bust (abc13, 04/13/08 - TX)

Casinos possible - but some students already win big (The Daily Pennsylvanian, 04/15/08 - PA)

media:
Missoula hosts poker championship (KPAX, 04/14/08 - MT) [video]

excerpts:
Bankers cheer Frank-Paul approach to Web gambling (The Hill, 04/14/08)
“The banking industry is cheering a fresh assault on the 2006 federal crackdown on Internet gambling by an unlikely duo: House Financial Services panel Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas). Frank has teamed up with the libertarian-minded Paul, who crusaded against big government during his recent White House bid, on legislation to block that law by forbidding federal officials from writing rules to implement it.”

Internet poker site operator doubts ban will be lifted anytime soon (Las Vegas Review-Journal, 04/15/08)
“Although he supports congressional efforts to roll back the Internet gambling ban, the vice president of a poker Web site on Monday said he is skeptical that will happen in the near future. “I don’t want to be a naysayer, but things move very, very slowly in Congress,” said Jay Lakin, vice president of Poker Source Online, which is headquartered near San Jose, Costa Rica. Lakin said he is taking a “wait and see attitude” about a bill introduced last week by Reps. Barney Frank, D-Mass., and Ron Paul, R-Texas, that would prevent the Department of Treasury and the Federal Reserve from proposing regulations to enforce the 2006 ban.”

Raid cracks high-stakes poker ring in Long View (Hickory Daily Record, 04/15/08 - NC)
“Police broke up a high-stakes poker ring in Long View on Thursday, seizing cash, poker chips, cards and poker tables. Officials from six agencies, including the Alcohol Law Enforcement, were involved in the raid at 2247 U.S. 70 in Long View, according to the Long View Police Department. Following up on tips from the community, police began investigating the gambling activity at the home a year ago. Until recently police did not think they had enough evidence for a search warrant.”

Eleven arrested in gambling bust (abc13, 04/13/08 - TX)
“Eleven people were arrested in a high-stakes gambling bust in northwest Harris County. Sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant on west road near yearling this afternoon, following a two month undercover investigation. Authorities say they found a room full of card tables and about 80 customers playing Texas Hold ‘em. And they weren’t playing ordinary poker matches. Thousands of dollars were at stake in the sophisticated operation.”

Casinos possible - but some students already win big (The Daily Pennsylvanian, 04/15/08 - PA)
“Rick Heaslip clears between $500 and $1,000 an hour on a good day. Heaslip, a College junior, plays poker professionally when he’s not studying Asian-American war literature or working toward his English major. Heaslip is a member of a community of Penn students who play professional or semi-professional poker in person and online. He started just over a year ago, despite initial concerns from his parents. “At first, they thought I was going to degenerate,” Heaslip said, but they stopped worrying after he started shouldering his college debt.”

media:
Missoula hosts poker championship (KPAX, 04/14/08 - MT) [video]
“The Grizzly Scholarship Association and Century Gaming are played host to the first statewide championship poker tournament, which was held on Sunday in Missoula.”