Massachusetts Online Gambling Clause Changed Due to PPA Lobby

A grassroots movement among Poker Players Alliance members in Massachusetts has caused the authors of an expanded state gambling bill to strike a clause making playing online poker a prison offense.

Lobbying groups have done much to injure the online casino industry in the US, but for once lobbying worked successfully for online gambling fans. A grassroots movement among Poker Players Alliance members in Massachusetts has caused the authors of an expanded state gambling bill to strike a clause making playing online poker a prison offense, according to a post at the GPWA forums.

The Gambling Portal Webmasters Association forums host a topic on the industry buzz announcing that the Massachusetts chapter of the PPA raised such a commotion over the felony clause that the state Representatives proposing the bill decided to remove the section making playing at online gambling sites illegal. Brian Wallace and Martin Walsh responded to numerous complaints by constituents by agreeing the criminal provision of HR 3954 should be dropped.

This is reminiscent of Governor Duval Patrick's casino bill last spring. While Patrick tried to create three legal land casino licenses, the same bill made patronizing an Internet casino a jail-term offense.It seems states have either lax rules against gambling in general,. or legalized gambling with vicious enforcement against all excluded from the state-taxed gambling.

Fortunately, groups like the PPA are making the political will of the people be felt, even against the greed of politicians for revenue. Governors like Ed Rendell in Pennsylvania bust poker games at Veterans of Foreign Wars halls with SWAT teams, while pushing for state video gaming terminals in virtually every house. But voters are speaking out, demanding they retain their rights to gamble at their leisure and choice of game.

While legalized casinos in Massachusetts appear all but certain in the future, the most important move for gambling occurred when average citizens refused to let a horrible precedent be set. Preventing the prosecution of customers at online casinos in Massachusetts may stop a movement of such legislation across the country.