PPA Agrees: PSPA Brings Greater Clarity

Recap
It took tremendous resolve on the part of Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) but finally the Payment Service Protection Act (PSPA) was passed. At its core, the bill will define exactly what is considered illegal online gambling. This to a large degree invalidates the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which was a blanket ban on online gambling, by seeking to clarify exactly what should be considered illegal.

Now the Federal Reserve and Department of Treasury will need to be informed - regarding which online gambling activities are deemed illegal - by a formal judgment from an administrative judge. This marks a radical departure from the previous status-quo. The House Financial Services Committee will now act based on specifics, not blanket categorization of all online gambling.

PPA reaction
Former US Senator and Poker Players Alliance (PPA) chairman Alfonse D'Amato is thrilled by the progress being made. He hailed the PSPA for bringing clarity on what should be deemed illegal and what not. While D'Amato and the PPA have not won approval of online poker yet, the PSPA has effectively rendered the UIGEA a toothless tiger - for now.

For the new bill to make its way through, it will need to pass through the House and then the Senate. D'Amato heaped praise upon both Democrats and Republicans for working together to secure the bill.