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NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Distribution Contact: Teresa Schofield [email protected] (202) 347-7516 PPA Statement on PartyGaming Plea Deal with DOJ WASHINGTON, DC. (December 18, 2008) – Former Senator Alfonse D’Amato, chairman of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy group with more than one million members nationwide, today issued the following statement regarding the plea deal made by PartyGaming founder Anurag Dikshit. “The Poker Players Alliance is disappointed to learn of Anurag Dikshit’s guilty plea to the Department of Justice under the Wire Act. To be clear, as a private settlement between two parties, this plea does not change existing law in the United States, nor does it establish any kind of precedent moving forward. “Yet we do believe this action further clouds the U.S. regulatory and legal environment as it relates to online poker, since the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the highest court to hear such a case, ruled that Wire Act should only apply to Internet wagers on sporting events or contests. “Additionally, certain types of online wagering, such as horse betting, are permissible under the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, yet according to the Department of Justice, remain illegal under the Wire Act. This disagreement among Federal law enforcement and lawmakers results in confusion for the millions of Americans who legally play online poker in this country. “We hope legislators in the upcoming Congress will take note of this disparity and pass legislation that affirms poker’s legal status and responsibly regulates the online poker industry.” About The Poker Players Alliance The Poker Players Alliance (www.theppa.org) is a nonprofit membership organization comprised of over 1,000,000 online and offline poker players and enthusiasts from around the United States who have joined together to speak with one voice to promote the game and to protect poker players’ rights.