Poker enthusiasts are visiting Washington DC this week to make their case to lawmakers that online gaming can be regulated effectively in the US and doesn't need to be banned outright.
Head of lobbying group Poker Players Alliance, John Pappas, wants lawmakers to act before December to clarify a law that could ban banks from helping online poker sites distribute money among players. The alliance has argued in court that online poker doesn’t violate the existing law because it is a game of skill, rather than a game of chance.
According to the Poker Players Alliance, there are 10 million Americans who play online poker for money, spending about US$6bn a year. Despite these figures, US law prohibits most forms of internet gambling and state prosecutors recently seized millions of dollars from online poker sites, angering players and advocates. The European Commission has threatened to challenge the US ban on internet gambling at the World Trade Organisation, saying the prohibition violates international trade rules.
