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Contact:Teresa Schofieldtschofield@theheraldgroup.com(202) 347-7516

PPA Testifies Before CA Senate Committee

WASHINGTON, DC (February 9, 2010)

– The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy group with more than one million members nationwide and over 120,000 members in California, will testify today before the California Senate GovernmentalOrganization Committee that not only is online poker able to be regulated, it is currently beingeffectively regulated across the globe. The Committee called the hearing to investigate licensingand regulating intrastate online poker."The PPA respects the due-diligence of the Committee to investigate "if" online poker can beregulated, 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," saidJohn Pappas, executive director of the PPA, in prepared remarks. Pappas will testifiy along withPPA's California State Director Steven J. Miller. "The U.S. Congress is debating federal billsthat would establish a licensed and regulated online poker marketplace, which the PPA stronglysupports.""Given California's love affair with poker, the PPA and our members feel strongly that if thestate decides to go down the path of intra-state licensed and regulated Internet poker it must do itwith the long-term needs of the consumer and of the State and California Tribes in mind," saidMiller.The PPA outlined several suggestions for the Committee to consider to ensure potential intrastatelicensing and regulation is done in an effective, competitive manner.* Respect the consumer. Without the buy-in from the online poker community, efforts toregulate the game will be futile.* Ensure competition: The true opportunity for California is to capitalize and regulate thecurrent market, add new entrants, and provide the poker player with expanded choice andconsumer safeguards at the same time. Limiting the marketplace to one online poker provider,as has been discussed, will create a monopoly, turn away consumers, and stifle innovation. Inshort, it will not work.* Protect access to the global poker marketplace. PPA members and poker players inCalifornia are concerned that intrastate licensing and regulation will limit their play to other California players only. This not only hurts the consumers, but it hurts the tax revenue potentialfor the state of California. If a player can't find a game online that they want to play, they willsimply not play and that means that an opportunity to generate tax revenue is lost.