Statement of PPA Chairman Senator Alfonse D’Amato in Response toOnline Poker Cheating Scandals

Washington, D.C. (July 22, 2008)

– Former Senator Alfonse D’Amato, chairman of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy group with over one millionmembers nationwide, today issued the following statement in response to recent online poker cheating scandals.“The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) is the political and public policy voice for poker players inAmerica. Central to our mission are advocacy efforts in Washington D.C. and around thecountry to protect poker players from misguided and vague laws and to establish licensed andregulated Internet poker in the U.S. To be clear, the PPA is not a regulatory body for poker players or the poker industry, nor do we seek to be. We are, however, compelled to speak outwhen our public policy mission is potentially undermined by actions which present Internet poker in a negative light.“Trust is paramount in poker. Sadly, this foundation has been undercut by admissions from twowell-known online poker companies, Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet, that cheating hasoccurred on their poker sites. The Poker Players Alliance condemns any and all cheating in poker no matter the forum in which it is played. Because of the current legal uncertainties andthe lack of federal regulation and oversight, it is especially troubling when cheating occurs inonline poker.

This has created an untenable atmosphere and has denied the proper means toinvestigate allegations, administer due process and then apply appropriate penalties for thewrongdoers. We urge these companies and their regulating authority, the Kahnawake GamingCommission, to provide a full and transparent accounting of these breaches of the public trust tohelp lift the black cloud that has been placed over the industry.“The recent cheating scandals underscore the need for U.S. licensing and regulation of online poker to help protect consumers. While even the most highly regulated industries are susceptibleto fraud and abuse, regulation does provide assurances that when consumers are harmed theyhave recourse. Further, it is abundantly clear that regulation will also address other consumer concerns by successfully providing ways to bar access by children to gambling Web sites and providing the necessary services for problem gamblers.“The federal government cannot continue to abdicate this basic responsibility to millions of itscitizens who choose to play poker on the Internet. The attempt to enforce an outright prohibitionof online poker is deeply flawed and unworkable, not to mention it invades upon the personalfreedoms of law-abiding adults who wish to engage in a game of skill.