I just wrote my Senator

[Sack Lodge]

There are several letters floating around; I wrote one that I think is decent. Feel free to use it.

[ QUOTE ]

Senator XXXXXX,

Just today, HR 4411, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, passed in Congress.

I am curious as to your opinion on the bill, which criminalizes internet gambling such as poker, but reserves a place for wagering on horse racing and the lottery.

I followed the debate that preceded the voting. Proponents of the bill do not seem to really understand how internet poker works, and instead relied on a handful of examples (such as a boy who rang up a debt online, then robbed a bank) to illustrate their point.

While a person can certainly get themselves in trouble and make poor decisions while gambling online, this is the case in so many other freedoms we enjoy. Certainly a person can do more harm to himself and others with a gun, yet those are plentiful and legal.

Additionally, it has been shown in studies that the core demographic of online gamblers are affluent, educated people that can afford to lose the money. They play for entertainment.

Then there are others, like myself, who win money at online poker. I have a full-time job, but I enjoy the secondary income poker provides, and I happily pay state and federal taxes on all my poker winnings.

I urge you to vote and speak against this bill when the time comes. Many people don't care one way or another about online gambling. But if we let this small liberty slip through the cracks, who knows what will follow.

Thank you for your time,

XXXXXXXXX


[/ QUOTE ]

[Chrisman886]

Doesnt Congress = House + Senate? So shouldn't congress be replaced by house in this letter?

[Sack Lodge]

[ QUOTE ]
Doesnt Congress = House + Senate? So shouldn't congress be replaced by house in this letter?

[/ QUOTE ]

Gah! I'm a noob. Hopefully this won't cause my Senator to go on an anti-gambling rampage.

[mistrpug]

This letter is very good. I am going to use it. Thanks.

[MEbenhoe]

For those of you who are writing your senators, I think it would also be worthwhile to do something I just did. If your representative was one who opposed this bill, write them a personal note thanking them for opposing this ridiculous bill. If your representative wasn't, pick out someone like Rep Berkley or Conyers and write them a note instead. Hopefully, the senate will vote this down, but even if they do it could come up again, and it is good to show your representatives that you appreciate it when they listen to your opinion.

[primetime32]

[ QUOTE ]
For those of you who are writing your senators, I think it would also be worthwhile to do something I just did. If your representative was one who opposed this bill, write them a personal note thanking them for opposing this ridiculous bill. If your representative wasn't, pick out someone like Rep Berkley or Conyers and write them a note instead. Hopefully, the senate will vote this down, but even if they do it could come up again, and it is good to show your representatives that you appreciate it when they listen to your opinion.

[/ QUOTE ]

great advice

[pokerhooker]

Here is one I wrote, in case you would like to use it. It is geared for California, where poker is legal:

Dear Senator xxx,

As a semi-professional poker player, I have been following HR-4411 -- a bill to ban internet gambling -- with keen interest. As you may already know, the House passed the bill today.

As a constituent of Senate District xx, I implore you to consider opposing the bill in its present form if and when it comes before the Senate. The bill is an unamerican attempt to govern morality and is further undermined by its hypocrisy in making exemptions for lotteries and horseracing which are backed by strong interest groups.

Since poker has been deemed a game of skill and not chance, and therefore is legal in California, it should not be considered gambling and restricted under the generic "wagering" terminology of this new bill.

I appreciate your time and attention, and would welcome hearing any questions or concerns you might have.

Kind regards,

[Little_Luck]

I considered saying I am a professional in my letter, but I think staying the course of being a poker enthusiast helps keep a little less bias in why you want the bill stopped.

Don't know if that makes a difference or not, but I'm sure it cannot hurt.

[Ali shmali]

[ QUOTE ]
it has been shown in studies that the core demographic of online gamblers are affluent, educated people that can afford to lose the money.

[/ QUOTE ]

I like this letter a lot. My only suggestion would be to change the "afford to lose money" to "afford to spend money on this hobby" or "afford to spend money on this form of entertainment". The "lose money" puts poker in a negative light i think.

[Ali shmali]

[ QUOTE ]
For those of you who are writing your senators, I think it would also be worthwhile to do something I just did. If your representative was one who opposed this bill, write them a personal note thanking them for opposing this ridiculous bill. If your representative wasn't, pick out someone like Rep Berkley or Conyers and write them a note instead. Hopefully, the senate will vote this down, but even if they do it could come up again, and it is good to show your representatives that you appreciate it when they listen to your opinion.

[/ QUOTE ]

good suggestion. I did write my representative(he voted for the bill) a nasty letter, lol. Not sure if that is good or bad for the bill.

[DougG]

[ QUOTE ]
Here is one I wrote, in case you would like to use it. It is geared for California, where poker is legal:


[/ QUOTE ]

This is a good letter. I made a couple of changes and changed the ending for non-Californians:

[ QUOTE ]

Dear Senator xxx,

As a semi-professional poker player, I have been following HR-4411 -- a bill to ban internet gambling -- with keen interest. As you may already know, the House passed the bill today.

As a constituent of Senate District xx, I urge you to oppose the bill in its present form if and when it comes before the Senate. The bill is an un-American attempt to govern morality and is further undermined by its hypocrisy in making exemptions for lotteries and horseracing which are backed by strong interest groups.

As California and other jurisdictions have recognized, poker is a game of skill and not chance. Poker should not be considered gambling and should not be restricted under the generic "wagering" terminology of this new bill.

I appreciate your time and attention, and would welcome hearing any questions or concerns you might have.

Kind regards,

[/ QUOTE ]