According to the Poker Players Alliance, there are 10 million Americans who play online poker for money, spending about $6 billion a year.

John Pappas, head of lobbying group Poker Players Alliance, said legislation to license and regulate online poker will ensure protections for compulsive gamblers and minors.

Every protection that online sites in the U.S. use right now are voluntary, Pappas said Monday at a briefing. Pappas is asking lawmakers to act before December to clarify a law that could ban banks from helping online poker sites distribute money among players. Without action, banks could vacate the market and leave the money distribution to less-reputable organizations, he said.

U.S. law prohibits most Internet gambling.

The European Commission has threatened to challenge the U.S. ban on Internet gambling at the World Trade Organization, saying the prohibition violates international trade rules.
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, has proposed legislation to legalize and regulate Internet gambling so revenue could be taxed.

A similar bill is expected to be introduced in the Senate by Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., Pappas said.





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