June 30, 2009 (CAP Newswire) — The online petition created by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) urging the U.S. government to repeal the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) has hit a major milestone over the past few days. As of mid-day Tuesday, June 30, 2009, the number of online signatures stood at more than 215,000.
Just yesterday, news sources were reporting that the number of signatures was closing in on, but still sort of, the 200,000 mark, standing at about 194,000 signatures at that time. That news blast, combined with recent poker popularity ushered in by the high-profile World Series of Poker (WSOP) and general favorable media attention enjoyed by the online poker industry, has brought the number of signatures soaring past the 200,000 mark in the past 24 hours alone.
According to a news story at Poker News Daily, the petition has been the hot topic of conversation at the WSOP, where advocates are working hard to get more people to sign the petition.
Just what effect will the online petition have? It’s hard to say, but in a media environment where the public is increasingly supportive of the online poker industry, this petition could very well provide an important assist to ongoing efforts by some U.S. lawmakers to repeal the UIGEA once and for all.
Click here to view or sign the petition. Click here to read recent news coverage at Poker News Daily.