PokerWorks

On April 22, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) announced that it reached its latest milestone when the organization enrolled its one millionth member. At last check of the website, membership has already gone over and above that mark as it sits at 1,000,450. With a sizable and consistently growing base of members, the PPA has also launched a voter registration program and political action committee (PAC).

The voter registration campaign is intended to be a strong effort to encourage political activism within the poker community. By realizing that the group is now over a million members strong, the voice of its members becomes louder, and the U.S. government should hear it. The goal of the campaign is to register 100,000 poker players as new voters in the “If You Play, Have a Say” campaign and educate them on their place in the political environment.

A new site established for voter registration purposes makes the process a simple one. By going to www.Poker2008.org and completing a form, any player can register to vote. The campaign to encourage poker players to vote will also expand to focus on key battleground states as the November 2008 election approaches, and there will be a special voter registration drive during the 2008 World Series of Poker at the Rio in Las Vegas.

The PAC launched by the PPA is called PokerPAC and is open to players who are current with their PPA membership dues, as well as PPA board members and employees. PPA Chairman Former Senator Alfonse D’Amato is to serve as the PAC chairman. Former Congressman Toby Moffett will serve as vice chairman, and poker pro Annie Duke will be an honorary PokerPAC board member.

D’Amato said, “The formation of PokerPAC and the ‘If You Play, Have a Say’ campaign sends a clear message to elected officials in Congress and the state capitals that poker players are paying attention to the laws they enact that impact an individual’s right to play poker. Our one million members’ voices will be heard.”

As the PPA continues to grow and become more influential in Washington D.C., the organization hopes to be able to assist Congressmen Barney Frank and Ron Paul as they move forward with an effort to stop the UIGEA from being enforced by America’s financial institutions. In addition, the PPA supports a number of bills that have been introduced to Congress to study online gaming, make an exemption for poker in current laws, and eventually regulate online poker in the United States.

The PPA is a non-profit membership-based organization with a mission to speak with one voice for its members in an effort to promote the game of poker and protect players’ rights. To join the more than one million members and take part in the poker revolution, visit www.PokerPlayersAlliance.org .