[TheEngineer]

My letter to McConnell:


Senator Mitch McConnell
United States Senate
361-A Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator McConnell:

I am a recreational poker player who is upset that nothing has been done in the Senate to introduce and advance HR 2046, the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act. Quite frankly, I find it ridiculous and shortsighted that Congress refuses to move this industry onshore, complete with regulation and taxation. Poker is, after all, an American institution. What I find truly absurd is the fact that it is still completely legal to place interstate wagers on horse races over the Internet. Surely the “problems” cited by the opponents of poker (a game of skill) exist in horse betting (which is mere chance). It seems quite hypocritical, at least to me, that one is expressly permitted while the other is not.

While I am a proud Kentuckian who values our commonwealth’s equine heritage, I also value my freedoms. Therefore, in the name of equitability, I ask you to either support HR 2046 or support the repeal of the Interstate Horse Racing Act of 1978. Many in Congress support eliminating this exemption for horseracing, including Rep. Shelly Berkley of Nevada, Rep. Julia Carson of Indiana, and Rep. Chris Shays of Connecticut. If my poker-playing friends at the 600,000 strong Poker Players Alliance and at the many poker web sites and blogs join in to insist that we should be treated at least as well as horses, I imagine we will be heard. At that point, various pro-family groups will likely join us to eliminate the horseracing loophole. After all, they are very consistent on this point, as you surely know.

My personal opinion is that we should choose to support both poker and our commonwealth’s equine industry. After all, we both know Internet gaming can be regulated for age verification and for prevention, compulsive behavior, and money laundering. This was proven conclusively at the June 8, 2007 House Financial Services committee hearings on the subject. I am glad you recognize that fact. After all, if you did not you would not have supported the horseracing exemption in last year’s Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).

Many Americans wish to have the right to play poker online. Many more do not feel it is the government’s place to prohibit this. Some polls have shown over 75% opposition to UIGEA. I do feel there will be a continued backlash in 2008 to this, especially as our party continues to fracture along ideological lines.

I ask you to carefully consider the facts and to support HR 2046 and our equine industry. Let’s have a regulated, taxed, and legal Internet gaming industry. It’s not about supporting gaming; rather, it is about supporting the right of adults to make their own decisions.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

TheEngineer