Internet Gambling Judiciary Hearing Wednesday, November 14th

Annie Duke Scheduled to Testify

A hearing will take place at 10a.m. on Wednesday, November 14th (tomorrow). A Judiciary Committee searing on Internet gaming titled “Hearing on Establishing Consistent Enforcement Policies in the Context of Online Wagers” takes place in room 2141 of the Rayburn House office building in Washington, D.C.

The PPA helped to get poker pro Annie Duke on the docket, and say that “the hearing is open to the public and the PPA encourages any interested members to attend.

Duke will join an expert in international trade laws from New York University (he’ll talk about the World Trade Organization issue), a representative of Aristotle (an age-verification site), written testimony by James Schaefer (an expert in problem gambling), as well as a line of dissenting testifiers at this hearing. This hearing is taking place as a sort of informative session for Committee on the Judiciary members about the issue of Internet gambling enforcement and safety issues concerning this misunderstood industry.

The hearing was organized at the request of committee member John Conyers. Committee members will use this testimony to help with their decisions about two bills that would affect online poker in America: Robert Wexler’s Skill Game Protection Act and Barney Frank’s Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act. Both bills are still in Committee.

“Chairman Conyers’ hearing is an important step toward educating Congress about the folly of an Internet gaming prohibition,” said PPA Chairman and former Senator Alfonse D’Amato. “It won’t work, and it is tremendously bad public policy.  Only through proper regulation can we provide the proper safeguards for consumers and generate billions in additional, and much needed, tax revenue for this country.”

Check back right here for news of a possible link with a streaming video that may very well be possible through the Judiciary Committee Hearing’s website. We will keep you updated of the event, as well as post any links to see the actual hearing.