D’Amato and PPA Announce National Poker Week
In a press conference held at the 2009 World Series of Poker in the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, the Chairman of the Poker Players Alliances, former U.S. Senator Alphonse D’Amato announced that this year National Poker Week will take place between July 19 and 25.
Representing a nationwide group of more than 1 million members, D’Amato outlined the way ahead for the PPA, as well as for poker in the U.S., and most particularly for U.S. online poker. Joining D’Amato was Nevada Democrat Representative Shelley Berkley who holds a very liberal viewpoint on online gambling in general. D’Amato noted that more than 10 million Americans now play poker, stating that the PPA’s mission going forward will be to convince lawmakers that their consitituents are in support of regulating and licensing online poker.
National Poker Week features events held in Washington D.C. and elsewhere, including a July 21 charity poker tournament benefiting the USO and Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Malone House. National Poker Week also features participation from celebrity poker pros like Howard Lederer, Annie Duke, Andy Bloch, Jan Fisher, Dennis Phillips, and Linda Johnson.
During this week more than 30 directors of various state’s chapters of the PPA will meet with their congresspeople to request support. They will also deliver a petition to President Obama asking that poker be exempt from prosecution under the UIGEA and that online poker in the U.S. be licensed and regulated. The PPA will also be running nationwide phoning and email campaigns this week.
