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General Points about Poker Poker is one of the great American pastimes Poker has been enjoyed by presidents, generals, Supreme Court Justices, Members of Congress and average Americans for more than 150 years. It is truly an American game and in recent years has become a positive ambassador of American culture throughout the world. Poker is a game of skill Poker is a game with a predominance of skill. Like chess, poker is a “thinking man’s” game which relies on mathematics, psychology and money management. Unlike “house banked” games of chance, like blackjack or sports betting, poker relies on the skill level of individual adults who are competing against each other. Playing around a kitchen table or in cyberspace, the same talents and skills required to win at poker hold true. Observing betting patterns and watching when players fold are just as critical when playing poker over the Internet as when playing in person. Online poker is a 21st Century game st Playing poker on the Internet is simply an example of an American tradition evolving into the 21 century. It is unfathomable that poker, an American pastime and game of true skill, should be banned for the millions who enjoy playing responsibly, just because they choose to play it on the Internet. General Points about the UIGEA UIGEA was passed without thorough Congressional review This misguided and overly restrictive legislation was attached at the 11th hour to a completely unrelated Port Security bill. With little or no review the UIGEA was thrust upon U.S. banks and an unsuspecting general public. Prohibitions don’t work Americans learned long ago that attempts to prohibit personal decisions will always fail. The UIGEA does nothing to protect children, help problem gamblers or combat fraud and abuse. The net effect of a prohibition will be to drive out the most responsible actors and leave doors open for unregulated operators to serve this marketplace. Regulation is the best public policy Congress can protect children, provide services for people with gaming addiction and ensure the security and vitality of financial transactions through responsible regulation of Internet poker. More than 80 countries have adopted a regulatory approach to Internet gaming and they have shown that it can be effectively controlled. The proposed UIGEA enforcement should not affect poker The recently proposed rules to enforce the UIGEA are vague and pose a serious infringement on people’s personal decisions. Even though there is no federal law that outlaws Internet poker, the proposed rules will force banks to block people from enjoying this game. Games of skill, like poker, chess, bridge and mahjong should be exempt from the UIGEA and its enforcement regulations.