PPA current campaign is seen as smearing gambling industry ?

[MiltonFriedman]

From today's Las Vegas Review Journal Inside Gaming:

"We're told some Capitol Hill offices are still being swamped with telephone calls, especially from the Poker Players Alliance. The alliance argues that proposals to make banks enforce the ban on online gaming by blocking transactions puts freedom at risk. But more seriously, the negative grass-roots campaign is blasting the gaming industry as being sleazy."

What is going on ? Why is the PPA campaigning against the gambling industry as being sleazy ?

[Coy_Roy]

Well I don't know if that's true or not but I do believe it's the right thing to do, seperate poker from the other types of online gambling that is.

Take care of poker FIRST.....worry about the others later.

Sad to have to act this way, but it may be the only way to save our great game.

[Nepthu]

Well offline US gambling is losing $$$ to online gambling. So it is in there best financial interest to try and shut down online gambling to protect their profits. I think it is probable that they did the lobbying and funding to Frist and were responsible for getting the recent anti-online gambling legislation through.

So maybe the PPA is campaigning against the offline US gambling industry for doing that?

[NorthDakota]

I have no idea what the PPA gameplan is and if the Gameplan is smart...

But, they are the only dog in the hunt right now...

Good Luck to the PPA

[Berge20]

[ QUOTE ]
Well offline US gambling is losing $$$ to online gambling. So it is in there best financial interest to try and shut down online gambling to protect their profits. I think it is probable that they did the lobbying and funding to Frist and were responsible for getting the recent anti-online gambling legislation through.

So maybe the PPA is campaigning against the offline US gambling industry for doing that?

[/ QUOTE ]

This is complete speculation and completely off base. The B&M US casino industry worked very hard behind the scenes to block any Internet Gambling language/legislation from becoming law.

As for the PPA's message and plan. I haven't heard what people are relaying to Hill offices, but it seems that the PPA realizes that the next step in the fight is in the regulatory drafting process.

Separating poker from other forms of gambling such as blackjack and roulette is probably a good idea. I'm not sure it will work, but it gives the PPA the best chance to succeed in the future. It brings in arguments of skill, player vs. player (not vs. house), and traditional pastime.

[Nepthu]

[ QUOTE ]

The B&M US casino industry worked very hard behind the scenes to block any Internet Gambling language/legislation from becoming law.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is there anything the B&M US casino industry has done to block internet gambling legislation that can be verified?

[Moneyline]

I just read the entire article (it's very short) and what was written doesn't really add up. First of all, to my knowledge the PPA hasn't organized any member campaigns related to phoning members of Congress since the bill was signed into law. So I find it hard to believe anybody is getting swamped with calls anymore. I know for sure that the PPA has never encouraged its members to call the rest of the industry "sleazy."

Secondly, the author doesn't name his sources. I think it's very relevant who is telling him this. For all we know it's a member of Goodlatte's staff. Also, for all we know the arguement that forms of gambling outside poker are sleazy may have been stated by just one random PPA member calling on his own.

The author ends his piece on the PPA with: [ QUOTE ]
That taint (of being sleazy) could have traction and do long-term damage to the industry Las Vegas depends on if the sleaze factor figures into voting patterns.

[/ QUOTE ] This statement makes no sense. Does he really think citizens who support a poker exemption are going to somehow vote against the gambling industry as a whole? Is he saying that members of Congress who vote for an online poker exemption are going to turn against other forms of gambling more than they already have?

The one paragraph piece on the PPA is vague, unsubstantiated, and seems like a shallow attempt to whitewash that organization by painting it as anti-Vegas.

[Berge20]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

The B&M US casino industry worked very hard behind the scenes to block any Internet Gambling language/legislation from becoming law.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is there anything the B&M US casino industry has done to block internet gambling legislation that can be verified?

[/ QUOTE ]

Outside of my word and direct knowledge, I'm not sure there are press reports to such effects. It was a behind the scenes effort.

[Nepthu]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

The B&M US casino industry worked very hard behind the scenes to block any Internet Gambling language/legislation from becoming law.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is there anything the B&M US casino industry has done to block internet gambling legislation that can be verified?

[/ QUOTE ]

Outside of my word and direct knowledge, I'm not sure there are press reports to such effects. It was a behind the scenes effort.

[/ QUOTE ]

How did you get your direct knowledge?

[faustusmedea]

A couple notes; first, online gaming is not affecting B&M negatively and the confirmation is in the last couple years profits for the industry. Katrina adversely affected them, but by and large the casino biz is growing. Second, with 120k in members, why can't the PPA act like a real organization and let members know what the hell they are doing? In reading the RJ article, its unclear about the meaning and what was said, but we should know what their strategy is as members; no? Finally, the AGA (B&M Trade assoc.) sponsored a study on online gaming and it is pretty interesting.

http://www.americangaming.org/assets...ey_for_Web.pdf