Another big poker name joins FairPlayUSA board

The newest player in the fight for online poker has just added another major name to their advisory board, as FairPlayUSA announced that Poker Hall of Famer Mike Sexton has joined 2004 WSOP Champion Greg Raymer, Internet safety expert Parry Aftab, and former Secretary of Homeland Security and Governor of Pennsylvania Tom Ridge as FairPlayUSA Board Members.

Sexton currently works as an announcer for the World Poker Tour -a role he has held since the tour began in 2002-and also as a spokesman for Party Poker, which makes him the first FairPlayUSA board member with a slight conflict of interest, although Raymer also sits on the Board of Directors of the Poker Players Alliance.

The announcement was made in a press release Tuesday Morning:

“Americans should be able to play poker online in the privacy of their homes knowing that the games are safe and fair,” said professional player Mike Sexton, who is known as the Ambassador of Poker for his work promoting the popular game. “FairPlayUSA is committed to ensuring a strict regulatory framework for online poker, and I am pleased to be part of its advisory board.”

According to the Executive Director of FairPlayUSA, Marisa McNee, “We’re honored that Mike has agreed to join our Board of Advisors and help carry our message of the importance of bringing integrity and safety to online poker.”  McNee continued, “As FairPlayUSA grows as an organization, our message of strict regulation, child and consumer protection, and support of law enforcement will continue to resonate with key policymakers.”

The group is still fairly new on the scene, but with a perfect mix of Advisory Board Members, they have already been making a lot of headway in their lobbying efforts. Sexton and Raymer are both well-spoken members of the poker community with impeccable reputations; Ridge, the former Homeland Security Secretary is well-versed in the ways money could be laundered and the preventive measures online poker legislation would be able to implement; and Aftab has worked tirelessly to protect kids on the Internet -which is one of the main arguments opponents of online poker often cite; protecting children.

According to the press release, the mission of FairPlayUSA is: “FairPlayUSA was founded to educate the public and policymakers on clarifying the laws on Internet gambling and once and for all defining what is illegal gambling and what is not, such as online poker, while also providing strong law enforcement tools to ban what is deemed to be illegal gambling. The coalition supports strict regulation of online poker and the protection of consumers and the rights of adults to engage in this activity. Based in Washington, D.C., the coalition combines the collective voice of law-abiding players with the distinguished voices of law enforcement, homeland security and online safety champions at the highest levels.”

Learn more about FairPlayUSA at www.fairplayusa.com