This week, the American Gaming Association (AGA) shifted their campaign to push for the regulation of online poker in the US into high gear with the launch of their “Online Poker Headquarters.” The new section of their web site includes a video, research, op-eds, press releases, and their own Code of Conduct for U.S. Licensed Online Poker Companies.
The two minute video depicts the current online poker landscape as one that poses danger to US citizens and drains our economy of billions of dollars. While commending the efforts of law enforcement, the video claims that the prohibition of online poker has actually created a more dangerous environment for US consumers. By leveraging existing technology, it implores Congress to “Act Now.”
The Code of Conduct includes six requirements for U.S. licensed online poker companies to follow. Many of the requirements are geared towards the protection of players, including audits of poker software to ensure the integrity of the game, player exclusion provisions and responsible gaming protection measures. Other requirements include anti-money-laundering methods, background checks on “key personnel” involved in operating the poker companies and “proper identification” of US players.
Coincidentally, on the day that AGA stepped up their game to promote the regulation of online poker, the US Department of Justice expanded their civil complaint against Full Tilt Poker, accused it of being “a global Ponzi scheme” and of defrauding its players out of hundreds of millions of dollars.
These actions by the DOJ served as examples of the AGA’s claim that Americans are being preyed upon by unscrupulous online poker operators. In a statement addressing the actions of the DOJ, Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., President & CEO of the AGA stated:
I have two simple questions: ‘How much and for how long?’ How much money that we don’t know about is being swindled from U.S. consumers and how long will it take before we change laws to protect those consumers?
Tomorrow Congress should begin changing the laws to protect consumers from such schemes.
