August 6th, 2008
By Poker Players Alliance
Read this document on Scribd: [KY] Response from Sen. Mitch McConnell (08/06/08)
Thank you for contacting me regarding the issue of Internet gambling. I appreciate that you took the time to share your concerns with me. As you know, in 2006, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to cut off revenue to many Internet gambling operations by instructing financial institutions to identify and block electronic payments to those operations. On September 30, 2006, the Senate unanimously passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which was included in the SAFE Port Act (H.R. 4954) and subsequently signed, into law. Supporters of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) have praised its passage for, among other reasons, its intent to protect children and those with excessive gaming habits from incurring crippling debt. As you observe, opponents of the Act believe that it represents an unwise intrusion of the federal government into their personal choices. Poker players such as you also point out that poker is a game of skill and not of chance, and that poker therefore should receive an exemption from the Act’s regulations. Earlier this year, some financial institutions expressed concern with the ability of the Treasure Department to issue UIGEA regulations that will provide enough clarity for the financial institutions that handle online payment transfers. In your correspondence, you expressed your support for several bills pending in the U.S. House of Representatives. H.R. 2046, the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act of 2007, would permit certain Internet gaming in the United States, subject to federal licensing, regulation, and user fees. H.R. 2610, the Skill Game Protection Act, would amend the law to permit online wagering involving poker, chess, and bridge, among other games. H.R. 5767 would prohibit the Treasury from issuing final UIGEA enforcement regulations. Each of the three bills remains under consideration in Committees of the House of Representatives. Should the U.S. Senate have the opportunity to debate any measures relating to online gambling, please know that I will keep in mind your views. Again, thanks for writing. Please do not hesitate to inform me of issues that are important to you. Sincerely, MITCH McCONNELL UNITED STATES SENATOR
Tags: [KY]
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October 8th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
will as a kentucky resident i think this is so wrong .. If gambleing is the issue then hey so is the horse racing an the bingo’s .. cause that is gambleing an lets not forget about the lotterys..But then playing poker that has been around for a 100 years is Illegal.. Please help me to understand this?I feel this is very sad for kentucky an for any other state.For i had no vote in this an i am mad about this i want my voice to be heard an it will be.. i believe there is nothing wrong with play poker on line or any where for that matter.if u going to take this away then u need to take it all away..