A hearing scheduled to take place Thursday March 5 on H.R. 707, also known as the Restoration of America’s Wire Act (RAWA), has been postponed due to inclement weather in the nation’s capital. The Executive Director of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), John Pappas, confirmed the postponement late on Tuesday.
The bill which was introduced last month by Republican Congressman Jason Chaffetz of Utah seeks to ban most online gaming in the US including online poker which is currently regulated in New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware. Chaffetz and fellow online gaming opponent Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) originally introduced this legislation last year, but failed to rally the support necessary to make the bill law. Graham is also expected to introduce a version of the bill to the Senate, but as yet to do so.
A list of witnesses scheduled to testify at the hearing that leaked to the media earlier this week is largely comprised of online gaming opponents.
Cybercrimes expert Parry Aftab is also scheduled to testify and is expected to be the lone proponent of regulating online gaming. Aftab was on the board of advisors for the now defunct coalition to advance US regulation of online poker, Fair Play USA.
The Poker Players Alliance is urging players to not stand idly by while those that seek to deprive them of the game they love continue to lobby for its extinction. Available on the PPA website are tools that will allow players to voice their opinion via social media to their legislative representatives in Washington
