[TheEngineer]

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Let me get out of my "sit back" mode for a minute and say excellent summary of where we stand, TheEnergizer!

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Thanks.

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I don't know how much the states currently depend on international access for internet betting on horses, and I suspect internet access is illegal for state lotteries. There was no international access when the states legalized those gambling businesses, and they did well, then grew.

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Horse betting is interstate. Also, the Internet wagering augments existing horse betting (at the track, over the phone, other OTB, etc.). Internet bets are extra money to them....pure profit. We're free-standing, which may make for differences. I recall MGM tried Internet gaming outside the U.S., and even the rest of the world failed to provide economy of scale.


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A legal intrastate poker site would be fine with me if the alternative is nothing besides the local casino. Maybe the status quo will hold and we don't see it go to nothing. But if it does go...we need new state laws. Maybe it has to hit nothing before enough people make noise.

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I agree. Right now, our fight has helped in keeping the status quo; we showed that we have strength and that we vote. Barney Frank said as much in one of his interviews on the topic. We used to be cannon fodder....holier-than-thou politicians could use us for free points with their constituents, under the false assumption that there was no pro-poker constituency. This may be good enough to, at worst, keep the status quo for a while longer.

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How to change states? No expert advice here however concentrate on legal poker, find friendly state legislators, write letters to the editor. Find out why Nevada has laws on the books and no businesses. Again, it has to be done sooner or later unless we hit a miracle river. The Fed level wouldn't be neglected since they are part of the problem; but the origin of the problem is state law. [/sit up mode]

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Agree with all of that. I do believe our primary focus should be at the federal level right now, mainly because there is proposed federal legislation that helps us make the political case for our position. There is a state component to this. However, our size (here at this forum on 2p2) limits what we can do. I know I cannot have an action thread for each state. Hell, I don't know who the state reps in Alabama are. Hopefully everyone is writing to their governor and state rep.