Poker Players Alliance Takes Aim at Anti-Online Political “Jokers”

The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) recently took aim at US iGaming’s political opponents by creating a list of “Jokers.” (Image: wikimedia.org)

The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) has poked a bit of a political hornet’s nest with its rundown of US politicians running in the impending mid-term elections who are against legalized iGaming in general, and regulated iPoker in particular.

Dubbed “The Jokers,” the political hit list has not only been designed to show exactly which representatives are against online poker, but to incite some action in the coming US elections. As well as pointing out those who don’t want American residents to enjoy the thrill of a 4-bet bluff in a virtual arena, the PPA has called for fans of the game to lobby the so-called “Jokers.”

Make a Move before November 4

Everyone named on the list will be fighting for their political lives on November 4, when the next round of elections are set to take place and, with this in mind, the PPA wants its supporters make their love of online poker known to anyone with some political sway.

Of course, the PPA isn’t advocating an all-out war against those who are politically opposed to online poker in the US, however, it does seem to be the case that negative campaigns strike more of a chord with the electorate than positive ones.

In fact, a case in point would be Sheldon Adelson’s recent attempt to disparage the industry by claiming that, despite not knowing anything about online technology himself, toddlers can do anything on their iPhones, including registering a credit card for an online poker site. With this in mind, the Poker Players Alliance appears to be taking a similarly dramatic stance when it comes to attacking its main opponents.

Levity Among the Negativity

As for the list itself, the 22 names on display includes anyone that has publicly supported the movement against Internet gaming in the US.

“Over the past year, these ‘jokers’ have advocated for federal and/or state prohibitions for Internet poker. Some have even sought to criminalize those who play!” read a statement on the PPA’s website.

Most notable on the hit list is one of Adelson’s supporters, Senator Lindsey Graham. Over the last few months, Graham has been vocal in his support of the Las Vegas Sands Corp CEO and even contributed to a bill that would restore the original interpretation of the Wire Act. Entitled the Restoration of America’s Wire Act, Graham’s bill gained support from fellow Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kelly Ayotte, as well as Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii).

For this and many other infractions against the iGaming community, Graham heads the hit list, alongside a slew of Republican and Democrat representatives. So who are the rest of these so-called “Jokers”? Here’s a rundown of US iGaming’s main antagonists, according to the Poker Players Alliance:

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