Annie Duke delivers impassioned testimony to the Judiciary Committee
Yesterday the House Judiciary Committee, which has key jurisdiction over Internet gaming matters, held a hearing to discuss the inconsistencies with U.S policy. On behalf of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), Annie Duke testified along with experts on international trade, age-verification technology, and representatives from the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Treasury.
“At its most basic level, the issue before this committee is personal freedom,†Ms. Duke stated. “More than any other value, America is supposed to be about freedom. Except where one’s actions directly and necessarily harm another person’s life, liberty or property, government in America is supposed to leave the citizenry alone. Examples of Congress straying from this principle are legion, but few are as egregious as UIGEA,†Duke added.
One key outcome of the hearing was the acknowledgement by DOJ witness, the Honorable Catherine Hanaway, that it is not illegal for an individual to place a wager on the Internet. This confirmation came during questioning from Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA) and dispels a common misconception that an Internet poker player may be committing a crime by playing poker online.
Another myth dismissed was the misguided belief that Internet gaming sites are bastions for terrorist money laundering. Congressman Howard Coble (R-NC) asked Ms. Hanaway if there was any evidence of Internet gaming sites laundering money for terrorist financing. She responded unequivocally there is no evidence to that effect.
Finally, the myth that it is impossible to provide protections to keep underage persons off gambling Web sites was completely dismissed by Michael Collopy of Aristotle, a leading provider of verification services for child protection online. Collopy delivered compelling testimony outlining a number of products and services available today which are nearly 100 percent effective in keeping children off age-restricted Web sites.
All of the witness’ written testimonies as well as video of the entire hearing can be found on the Poker Players Alliance’s Web site, www.pokerplayersalliance.org.
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This internet gambling issue is finally going somewhere.