Despite the best efforts of the poker community, the opposition of the banks, and the recent news exposing inappropriate influence by the White House, the Bush administration chose to submit its incomplete Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) regulations. Just as UIGEA was sneaked into legislation in the dark of night in 2006, we are again confronted with an 11th hour effort.

These regulations are to be made effective on January 19th, the day before President-elect Obama takes office. A copy of the final UIGEA rules and the Poker Players Alliance's response can be found on the PPA web site. Let’s all expose and stop this reckless rulemaking.

Freedom lovers everywhere are outraged over this last-minute “midnight rulemaking.” Here are four things we can all do to stand up for Internet freedom and our personal liberty:

1.) Write to President-elect Barack Obama

Barack Obama has a new comment site. Let’s all post polite, professionally worded comments on this issue. Some points to consider sharing:

• The Bush administration's last minute, incomplete UIGEA regulations are reckless in that they place unreasonable requirements on our nation’s imperiled financial services industry. Bush was careless in forcing them on the country in his 11th hour. Obama should introduce legislation to overturn these regulations.
• These UIGEA regulations set a dangerous precedent for broader censorship of the Internet by the federal government.
• The Washington Post reported that William Wichterman, a recent lobbyist for the National Football League who now works at the White House, played a controversial role in the Bush administration's last-minute effort to implement the UIGEA regulations. His lobbying firm made $2.8 million for his efforts against our freedoms!
• Banks should not be forced by the federal government to act as law enforcement entities.
• Poker is a game of skill where players compete against each other. There is no “house” profiting from losing players like in casino games of chance.
• Obama should support licensing and regulation of online poker. Congressman Robert Wexler, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, Senator Robert Menendez, and others have sponsored bills that do just that. Their bills provide protections for participants with excessive gaming habits. Bush's UIGEA regulations offer these people nothing.
  

2.) Write to the GOP

The GOP has a new comment site. Let’s all post polite, professionally worded comments on this issue there as well. Some points to consider sharing:

• Federal Internet censorship is not a limited government position, nor is the idea that Americans need the government to protect them from themselves.
• Banks should not be forced by the federal government to act as law enforcement entities.
• UIGEA is reckless in that it places unreasonable requirements on our nation’s imperiled financial services industry.
• Poker is a game of skill where players compete against each other. There is no “house” profiting from losing players as in casino games of chance.
• The GOP should support licensing and regulation of online poker. Bills currently in Congress provide protections for participants with excessive gaming habits. UIGEA offers these people nothing.
• The GOP has had an anti-online poker plank in its last three platforms (2000, 2004, and 2008). As a result, rightly or wrongly most Americans associate the party with UIGEA. This position likely costs the party far more votes than it gains. The GOP can no longer afford to give away votes
  

3.) Write to Congress

Let’s all go to the PPA autoletter site to write to Congress. In only 60 seconds, we can tell our Congressmen and Senators exactly what we think of UIGEA!

4.) Forward this to our friends

This isn’t just about poker. It’s about Internet freedom and freedom in general. Every American should care.