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

PPA Applauds Introduction of S. 3616

Bill Establishes Licensing, Regulation of Internet Poker

WASHINGTON, DC. (October 1, 2008)

–The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy group with more than one million members nation-wide, today commendedSenator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) for introducing S. 3616, the Internet Skill Game Licensing andControl Act. The legislation establishes the needed licensing and regulatory framework for theUnited States to exercise appropriate control and oversight over Internet poker and other gamesof skill.“This action by Senator Menendez is yet another example that prohibitions on Internet gambling,and specifically poker, will not work to protect consumers,” said PPA Chairman and Former Senator Alfonse D’Amato. “The PPA has long advocated for thoughtful and effective licensingand regulation of online poker as a means to protect vulnerable communities, such as childrenand compulsive gamblers, and provide appropriate controls to thwart consumer fraud and abuse.Senator Menendez legislation is the right vehicle to achieve those goals.”Until now legislative action in this area has been limited to the U.S. House of Representativeswith Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA), sponsor of H.R. 2046, and Representative Robert Wexler (D-FL), sponsor of H.R. 2610, leading the charge for licensed and regulated poker. Senator Menendez’s bill is an exciting new development and a welcome legislative proposal of whichmillions of American poker players can be proud.The introduction of S. 3616 follows a recent bipartisan victory in the House Financial ServicesCommittee where legislation, H.R. 6870, was passed requiring clarification of the vaguedefinition of “unlawful Internet gambling” contained in the 2006 Unlawful Internet GamblingEnforcement Act (UIGEA). Industry and regulators, including the Federal Reserve andDepartment of Treasury, testified to the unworkable nature of UIGEA as passed and the burden it places on the already troubled banking industry. S 3616 would provide even more clarity to themurky UIGEA and would relieve the banking industry from the ill-advised and costly burden of attempting to police private conduct at this critical economic moment in our nation’s history.Key provisions of the bill include:

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Thorough vetting of potential licensees;