HELP ME news interview about the bill

[lane mcbride]

I'm being interviewed by the news in about an hour about "my thoughts" on the new bill

All of those that know a lot about it, and have persuasive things to say against it, please help me out. Give me some things to bring up, some points to make.

Thanks in advance!

[SirArthur]

Bring up how hypocritical it is to allow exemptions for online horse racing, online state lotteries, and online fantasy football yet ban poker??

Those industries have huge lobbying forces behind them (except for F. football maybe).
It's all about the mighty dollar never forget that.

It has nothing to do about protecting the youth, but all about Frist and his possible presidential aspirations, and to throw the religious right a bone for the upcoming November elections.

What news thing is this interview for??

[lane mcbride]

local news. i run a couple websites, and have done interviews before, so they came to me when they heard about the bill to ask my opinion,

[Shrug]

The fact that it was slipped in on the back of a Port Security Bill is a complete travesty!

[Ali shmali]

Mention how Senator Frist underhandedly piggy backed the bill so that the internet gaming issues where never even discussed or debated in the senate. No one was given a choice to vote on internet gambling. they were voting on port security and the gaming was a tiny foot note. sleazy sleazy

[Vern]

Reference Barney Frank's speech on adult freedoms.

[BradleyT]

Slip "LOL Donkaments" in there somehow.

[stargazer]

My talking points would be something along the lines of -

This is election year pandering, for a few senators looking to score points with the religious right under the cover of darkness, by slipping this into a homeland security bill. But it's utterly hypocritical, "they" say it's a moral issue, but then they leave special protection for horse betting and lotteries.

Poker is wildly popular, it's watched by millions of people on TV every day and is played by millions of law-abiding adults in the United States. And with the explosion of popularity, online poker had really become rock solid and legitimate as big corporations moved in and took over. They had to make it transparent and well-regulated because they have shareholders to be accountable to.

And that's the real shame, with this change it means that the corporations have to pull out, and that'll just push the game into more shady territory. Because the millions of people who play today aren't just going to stop. This law is just going to move those people underground, where there's much less regulation and accountability, more exposure to crime and corruption. That's the real shame.

So I think this new law went in exactly the wrong direction, instead of trying to outlaw the game the Senate should have realized it would be much better to regulate it, to tax it, to protect minors, police the wagering, and make sure people play responsibly. Because all the problems people associate with gambling will still be with us, but now it'll be driven underground, it's like the wild west all over again.

(note: don't call poker a sport, don't call playing it a "right", and don't call it "the great game of poker" or other wide-eyed nonsense. These phrases don't fly outside the poker community)

[Reef]

"hypocritical it is to allow exemptions for online horse racing, online state lotteries, and online fantasy football yet ban poker"

mention how the former are games of chance while the latter (poker) is a game of skill.

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If they mention gambling addicts:

Gambling is like anything else in the world: useful, fun, intellectually stimulating, but can be harmful if used in excess. Same goes with alcohol. But we as American adults need the freedom to make these decisions in our lives. Why can't we spend our own time and money how we want to?

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"Senator Frist underhandedly piggy backed the bill so that the internet gaming issues where never even discussed or debated in the senate. No one was given a choice to vote on internet gambling. they were voting on port security and the gaming was a tiny foot note. "

YES!