Merlin333
Merlin333
Number of posts : 355
Jon Holt : Jon /Merlin333
Points : 6131
Reputation : 0
Registration date : 2008-04-18
 |  Subject: Poker Players Alliance : how are you making the game safer for players & making providers accountable  Sat May 24, 2008 4:42 am | |
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| Poker Players Alliance : how are you making the game safer for players and making providers accountable | | From: | Jon Holt (jonhxxx@.com) | | Sent: | Tue 11/13/07 7:29 PM | | To: | ma@pokerplayersalliance.org; news@pokerplayersalliance.org | | Cc: | Support@AbsolutePOker.com (support@absolutepoker.com); support@pokerstars.com;
support@FullTiltPoker.com (support@fulltiltpoker.com); Kahnawake Gaming
Commission (kgc@mck.ca); webmaster@pokerlistings.com; UltimateBet
(memberservices@ultimatebet.com) | All In,
TO: Randy Castonguay ma@pokerplayersalliance.org.
Poker Players Alliance Massachusetts State Director
Mr. Castonguay,
My name is Jon Holt. I am a member of the PPA, an amateur poker player, I play poker online, I am a marketing professional and a blogger on several poker league / forum / blogger sites.
I will admit that I spend something less that a full day online but since I joined the PPA through a tournament on PokerStars the only information I have received since then is the letter below on a site I am a member of. I, like the many thousands of members who are interested in being able to play secure poker online are of course interested in pursuing this endeavor without being persecuted as if this is a criminal
activity - which it clearly is not.
Clearly Poker Players Alliance Massachusetts is one of several organizations that have an interest in paving the way to allow the non-criminalization of secure online poker games. My question is this - what is your organization the PPA doing to insure that companies both on and offshore, that offer online gaming, will provide a secure service so that issues like online cheating, game data integrity, plans to reduce and eliminate collusion, insider cheating, promote financial stability, prompt cash out, non-predatory charges to deposit funds and punishment for any activity that results in the player being cheated. Though plans may exist that address these and other serious concerns I am made aware primarily of calls for support - support to what end is my question.
While allowing online play is a laudable goal and has many supporters. I am sure that support will disappear if the goal is to expeditiously enable online gaming wile allowing an environment has no integrity, relies "self-policing", no accountability, no penalties for criminal actions on the part of the sites or worse ignoring these issue altogether as a "solution". Kahnawakee & Absolute, while first denying there was a problem, when the problem would not go away they enlisted an outside auditing firm in answer their cheating debacle. Especially since Kahnawakee licenses many sites operating in America this is not a sufficient response. It begs the question - how many more of these incidents exist and who will police them and how many players will lose money as a resuilt of cheating instead of a lack of skill? Even now they are reluctant to provide more than two bloggers I know of, one is affiliated with the site, with up to date information on the investigation. I have written them several times only to receive boilerplate. PokerStars to their credit quickly dealt with their security breach issues - that I am aware of. I for one am not willing to rely on the possibility that all sites who host online gaming have the inclination, the financial wherewithal and the technical and legal capacity to identify and deal with this problem as Pokerstars appears to have.
My hope was that the Pokers Players Alliance would address these issues even before "superuser" and "v0id" became widely known. To insure continued support from those who wish to have online play without prohibition and with game integrity and security for the player and accountability, regulation and standards from the providers the PPA must do a better job of making sure it's members are fully aware that this effort is has the players security and game security as job one. No one can deny that have enough profit and resources to insure secure games.
If I have missed material that protects the player and can shed a light on this facet of the online gaming issue, please forward that material to me.
The
vast amount of information I have seen or received from the PPA
addresses these "talking points" issues while important they seek
reinstatement not integrity :
- Billions of tax revenue is being lost, Poker is a source of charity
- Poker is one of the great American pastimes
- Playing Poker Online Is Simply an American Tradition Evolving into the 21st Century
- 75 percent of Americans oppose banning online poker, Online Poker can be safe and regulated,
- Online Poker vs. Online Horse Racing Betting, Prohibitions don't work.
NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THESE ISSUES ALONE OR IN AGGREGATE BALANCE THE NEED TO BE SURE OF GAMING INTEGRITY AND PROVIDER ACCOUNTABILITY
this is the link to this blog on this site : PPA
Jon Holt (Merlin333/IMM0RTAL1) :Ah:
Be advised that I have cc: each entity mentioned in this article .and will post this material and your response or non-response in my blog.
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Poker Players Alliance: News and Articles
[MA] PPA Action Alert to all Mass. Members
by Poker Players Alliance
| Recently, Governor Deval Patrick proposed a bill (H.4307, click here to read) that seeks to expand casino gambling in the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts. This bill also includes a proposition that would make it
a crime for you to play poker on the Internet (See: Section 15(h)(2)(i)). Under this provision, violators will be subject to a maximum term of 2 years in the house of correction, a fine of $25,000, or both. Ironically, H.4307 is pro-casino gambling legislation, yet it makes Internet gaming a crime. This is an unacceptable double-standard!
The Poker Players Alliance is committed to assisting Massachusetts
poker players by bringing attention to this attack on our rights;
however, we cannot do this alone. We need your help and are asking that you send letters to Governor Deval Patrick, your local State
Representative and your State Senator. We have provided a standard
letter which will automatically be sent to the above politicians. We
encourage you to personalize the letter by adding your own comments. We cannot stress enough how important it is for you to make your voice
heard.
Protect poker and send your letter today by clicking here.
We will update you on this situation as information becomes available
to us. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at ma@pokerplayersalliance.org.
All In,
Randy Castonguay
Poker Players Alliance Massachusetts State Director
cc: AbsolutePoker, Pokerstars,FullTilt,Ultimatebet
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