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NEWS RELEASEFor Immediate Distribution
Contact:Teresa Schofieldtschofield@theheraldgroup.com(202) 347-7947
PPA Amendment Striking Poker Criminalization Language from MAGaming Bill Passes
Washington, DC (April 14, 2010)
–The Massachusetts House of Representatives yesterdayapproved a Poker Players Alliance-supported amendment to the state’sgaming legislationwhichremoved language criminalizing playing online poker and other gaming over the Internet. The bill should meet final passage later today. PPA, the leading poker grassroots advocacy groupwith more than one million members nationwide and over 25,000 members in Massachusetts,has been working closely with Massachusetts lawmakers since 2008 to preserve Massachusetts’citizens’ rights to play poker, whether online or in person.“Of course, the PPA is very pleased that the House-passed gaming bill does not criminalizeonline poker, but I am even more proud of our members in Massachusetts who really stepped upto the plate on this issue and made their voices heard among the House lawmakers. This wasgrassroots at its finest,” said John Pappas, executive director of the PPA.The PPA has been engaged in the gaming debate in Massachusetts since 2008, when a broadcasino bill contained language making it illegal to play online poker, carrying a criminal penaltyof up to 2 years in prison and/or a $25,000 fine. That legislation ultimately lost momentum, butwas reintroduced this year. Notwithstanding assurances that the criminalization language would not be part of the new billintroduced this year, it was. The PPA, its members in Massachusetts, and lobbying team quicklyrallied to provide an amendment, offered by State Representative Brian Dempsey, striking thecriminalization provision and to communicate the wide support for legal online poker amongMassachusetts citizens.Additionally, the PPA has been working with State Representative Brian Wallace on hislegislation, H4069, which would officially define poker as a game of skill in Massachusetts.“On behalf of poker players in Massachusetts and nationwide, I’d like to thank RepresentativeDempsey for his effort to remove the criminalization language from the gaming bill, as well asRepresentative Wallace for his continued support,” said Pappas. “We will now focus our effortson the Massachusetts Senate to include the skill language into the bill and to ensure thecriminalization provision stays out of the final package.”For more background on the skill versus chance argument, please visithttp://theppa.org/resources/skill/.
About The Poker Players Alliance
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