Poker players and online gambling enthusiasts have established a home base inside the Beltway.

The Poker Players Alliance, a nonprofit that defends the rights of poker players, moved from San Francisco to Washington last month in order to increase its visibility and effectiveness on Capitol Hill. The group has been a vocal opponent of federal efforts to restrict online gambling.

Last year, President Bush signed into law a measure banning financial firms from processing payments to e-gambling sites. The Justice Department also has pursued several high-profile cases against offshore gambling businesses in recent years.

The poker alliance was among the groups that actively lobbied against the e-gambling ban. In a telephone interview, Executive Director John Pappas said he hopes an international trade dispute over e-gambling and recent research about the effects of online wagering will encourage lawmakers to rethink the statute.

The tiny island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, which depends economically on e-gambling, has successfully challenged the United States before the World Trade Organization and is seeking billions of dollars in sanctions. Earlier this week, the British Gambling Commission released a study refuting some of the claims used by supporters of the U.S. ban about the addictiveness and health risks associated with online gambling.

Legislation already has been introduced to repeal the U.S. ban on Internet gambling. A bill introduced by Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., instead would legalize and regulate the online gambling industry.

Poker players are trying to rally support for Frank’s proposal, which has a few dozen co-sponsors. The alliance has loaded more than 100 videos about various gambling issues to YouTube and is planning to hold a policy conference in Washington next month to spotlight its agenda. Lawmakers, lobbyists and professional poker players have been invited.

The group also is planning a voter-registration drive for the 2008 election.

Pappas acknowledged that it will be difficult to move the measure through Congress this session. But he said the WTO case may help sway some lawmakers. He added that the alliance got a boost earlier this year when former Sen. Alfonse D’Amato, R-N.Y., became chairman.

“Congress works in mysterious ways,” Pappas said. “What we’re trying to do is generate a critical mass where Congress would have to act.”

Pappas hinted that the alliance may establish a political action committee to further enhance its influence. He said the organization is currently focusing on educating members on who its “champions” on Capitol Hill are.

“If we had a dollar from each of our members we’d have one of the strongest PACs in Washington,” he said. “It’s something we’re strongly considering.”

Author Contact Info: Michael Martinez, National Journal