POLICE ASSOCIATION ASKS FOR ONLINE POKER REGULATION


03/29/2012 : Letter to US political leaders comments that millions of Americans are gambling online…with offshore operators.
 
The pro-legalization action body FairplayUSA reports that the Fraternal Order of Police in the United States has taken up the cause of online poker legalization, writing to a number of senior US congressmen and women that includes Senator Harry Reid, Speaker John Boehner, Senator Mitch McConnell and Representative Nancy Pelosi.
 
The letter can be viewed at http://www.fairplayusa.com/sites/default/files/FOP%20Letter.pdf and states:
 
"…Millions of Americans wager regularly on offshore Internet gambling sites beyond the reach of the Federal government. Today, there are no controls on Internet gambling to give U.S. consumers recourse to U.S. courts to provide prompt and accurate payment; no protections are in place to prevent or detect money laundering; no firm and transparent licensing of operators exists; and no regulatory controls are in place to prevent criminals from entering the marketplace, rigging games, or misusing customer financial data.
 
"This has created a situation in which U.S. law enforcement authorities cannot shut down illegal activity, nor is there any way for those victimized by fraud or other criminal activity to seek redress.
 
"Just a few weeks ago, former Governor and Homeland Security Secretary Thomas J. Ridge and former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Louis J. Freeh penned an opinion piece in the Washington Examiner explaining the scope of the problem and the need for a national strategy and Federal action.
 
“The FOP shares their approach– we need to modernize the Wire Act, create a strong regulatory framework for legal gaming that provides law enforcement the tools necessary to put the illegal offshore sites out of business and protect consumers from the operators who engage in criminal activity."
 
The letter offers the assistance and input from the FOP's 330,000 stong member base, and is signed by FOP president, Chuck Canterbury.