PokerWorks

This won’t be the first year that Greg Raymer and the Poker Players Alliance took their cause of legalizing online poker to CPAC, but more of an urgent effort is being put into this year’s event, as a booth will be set up for its entirety to seek support of legislation that must move forward in Congress before the June 1st UIGEA enforcement date. That is why the PPA and Greg Raymer will be ever-present at the 2010 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) from February 17 through 20.

CPAC is a three-day annual conference that allows members of the conservative political movement to gather in Washington, D.C. each year to share thoughts through speeches and discussions about political matters. Conservatives have been tough to approach regarding the online gaming issue because despite their interest in keeping government out of private matters, like the internet, religious beliefs about gambling and the idea that regulation is to be avoided have kept many Republican members of Congress from supporting the issue. Therefore, the PPA seeks to use their sponsored booth at CPAC to emphasize the freedom aspect of the online gaming issue and urge support of legislation.

The PPA is sponsoring the booth throughout the entire weekend of CPAC, including registration day on the 17th. And to go hand in hand with that effort, the PPA has launched a website dedicated to topics and commentary on the issue of online gaming aimed at members of the conservative movement. Some of the conservative support quoted on the site comes from pundits like George Will and John Stossel.

Poker pro Greg Raymer will be in attendance at CPAC to speak to attendees from the booth, sign autographs, and conduct interviews with bloggers, talk radio hosts, and other conservative media outlets. The staunch libertarian stated, “Americans enjoy the game of poker no matter their political stripes. We need to make sure that both politicians and activists are aware of the ridiculous attempts to prohibit online poker and empower them with the information and the tools necessary to stand up for our freedoms to play.”

Raymer even wrote an opinion column entitled “Freedom to Play the Game” for The Daily Caller on February 15 to precede his attendance at CPAC. The article starts with the basic issue: “The great thing about America is that a guy like me can follow his dreams and do what he loves to do and still support his family. I play poker for a living. Poker is not for everybody….” And he goes on to discuss his libertarian views and adds, “I am also a patriot. I love this country… That is why I am so angry at those members of Congress who have tried to take my version of the American dream away from me.” The ending of the piece sums up the views of Raymer and many other poker players: “I have a simple message to Congress. Keep your hands off my poker hand. Repeal the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act, license and regulate online poker, and stand up for freedom in this country.”

Anyone attending CPAC at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel through the weekend is welcome to visit the PPA booth and discuss issues with representatives like Raymer. People looking for information online can visit the PPA’s CPAC web page.