Poker Petition Collects 300,000 Signatures

As of 14 July 2009, more than 300,000 signatures have been collected by the Poker Players Alliance for their poker petition. This petition is part of the National Poker Week that is going to be held in the United States from 19 through 25 July 2009.

Players who wish to voice their support for the legalization of poker in the United States can easily sign the petition online. They only have to visit PokerPetition.com and enter their valid personal details. The process should take less than a minute.

According to the text of the petition, online poker has been identified by Americans as the most pressing technology policy issue that should be addressed by the Obama administration. The entry “Boost America’s Economy with Legal Online Poker”, received widespread popular support when it was published on the Citizen's Briefing Book.

The main argument put forth by the petition is that “Poker is Not a Crime”. Directed to President Barack Obama, the petition starts by saying that “I am a voter and a fellow poker player asking for your support of my right to play games of skill like poker on the Internet.”

More specifically, the language of the petition seeks to “Exempt poker from the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA)”, “License and regulate internet poker in the US” and “Respect the rights of law-abiding Americans who love to play this great game of skill.”

The petition is scheduled to be presented to President Obama on 22 July, during the National Poker Week. 30 State Directors of the PPA and various poker pros will fly in to meet lawmakers in Washington, D.C. to discuss the various proposals for the legalization of online poker in the United States during the week.