Rally Supporting Online Poker Planned for Massachusetts

If you think gambling is for suckers, think again. The latest push to legalize and regulate online gambling and online casino games is being led by no less than Harvard Law Professor Charles Nesson. Nesson, along with university organization Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society (GPSTS), has planned a rally scheduled for today at the state government building to protest efforts to make online poker a criminal offense. Governor Deval Patrick is attempting to pass a bill which would ban poker, "filling our expensive jail cells with poker players," in the words of Nesson.

If passed, the state bill would send local violators to jail for a maximum of two years with a penalty of up to $25,000. Not only would this be the first state to criminalize online poker, it would also include the "play for fun" mode when no money changes hands.

Proponents of online gambling are also concerned about the message this bill would send in what is considered to be a liberal state. Nesson explains, "Outlawing online poker also advertises to the world that Massachusetts is a state that discriminates against the Internet and new technologies, which is exactly the opposite of what the state needs for its economic development."
The GPSTS estimates that over 400,000 residents of Massachusetts play online poker.