There is a Government Briefing Book hosted at change.gov that asks citizens to rank issues they are concerned with. Online poker is the number one issue in the Technology category. Maybe you're not concerned with the fight against classifying poker as a game of 'chance', while horsebetting is a game of 'skill', but many of us make our living doing this and pay our taxes on it like normal people. Countless others enjoy depositing $50 and enjoying their evening gambling. By a wide margin, most online poker deposits are $100 and 50% of them are made by Americans, and yet there are billions of dollars in prize money handed out every year, so that illustrates the scale of which Americans enjoy a very popular pasttime which the government is trying to end because of a desire to prohibit gambling inside the United States.

I know ten university students, like myself, who make a living playing online poker. Admittedly, it primarily "exploits" people with $50 who want to play poker from their home. It's a strategy game first and a luck game next, and your support for the PPA and pro-poker legislation makes it easier for us to transfer this money into the US, primarily for savings and investment at our age, and pay taxes on it. It's a completely ridiculous thing to legislate, and that's why I'm confident the World Series of Poker and its marketing buddies at ESPN, et al, with your support, can continue to bring the booming poker industry back home to the world capital of gambling, the USA.

Certain states, Kentucky comes to mind, have taken it into their own hands. http://www.pokerplayerpress.com/online-poker-ban.html

The best way to keep children from accessing online gaming Web sites is to strictly require that all operators employ the best is class age-verification software. This can only be done through a licensing approval process and regulation. The UIGEA does not use the best way to prevent underage gambling and protect children.

Poker is a game of skill
Playing around a kitchen table or in cyberspace, the same talents and skills required to win at poker hold true. Observing betting patterns and watching when players fold are just as critical when playing poker over the Internet as when playing in person.

In addition, since poker is not a "house game" like blackjack and others, the game requires players to compete against other players. This characteristic is true whether someone is playing online or offline.

Poker is a game with a predominance of skill. Like chess, poker is a "thinking man's" game which relies on mathematics, psychology and money management.

Billions of tax revenue is being lost.
According to an economic analysis, 3.3 billion in federal tax revenue and addition 1 billion in state tax revenue could be raised if the federal government were to regulate Internet poker.

Poker is a source of charity.
In 2006, millions of dollars were raisedfor local and national charities through poker tournaments. One event in D.C. featuring 15 Members of Congress raised more than $288,000 to fight cancer.

Poker is one of the great American pastimes.
The game has been enjoyed by presidents, generals, Supreme Court Justices, Members of Congress and average Americans for more than 150 years.

Playing Poker Online Is Simply an American Tradition Evolving into the 21st Century
Americans have played poker throughout history. Playing poker on the Internet is simply an example of an American tradition evolving into the 21st century. It is unfathomable that poker, an American pastime and game of true skill, should be banned for the millions who enjoy playing responsibly.

75 percent of Americans oppose banning online poker.

According to national polling, a vast majority of Americans oppose federal efforts to ban online poker. Online Poker can be safe and regulated.

Appropriate federal regulation can ensure that minors are kept out of sites, services are provided to problem gamblers and the proper taxes are collected. The current system does nothing to protect children, problem gamblers and it is allowing billions in tax revenue to go overseas.

Online Poker vs. Online Horse Racing Betting?
If Congress allows me to bet on horses and state lotteries online, why can't I play a skill game like poker with other consenting adults?

Prohibitions don't work.
The UIGEA effectively bans online poker in the U.S. and drives those players underground. Meanwhile, poker continues to grow in popularity nationwide.

The PPA's position says YES. 4. Is playing poker legal in the United States? Generally, playing poker in a social setting in one's home is legal in most, but not all, states. Some states permit playing social games of poker in taverns and bars, while very few states allow commercial poker games. Increasingly, however, government officials have undertaken "crackdowns" on the playing of poker in traditional settings, including at charity events. These stories are detailed in the News section of this Web site. The Internet poses separate issues. There is currently no federal law that prohibits anyone from playing poker online. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, does not change any federal gambling and does not make it illegal for people to play on the Internet (Note: some states do have laws, like Washington St. which have criminal penalties for online).

This place can't be real. If they don't have the internet or radios, how would we have heard about it?