November 4 marked a historic day for the United States as Barack Obama won a landslide victory over John McCain in the 2008 Presidential Election. Scores of voters turned out to help Obama defeat McCain 349 electoral votes to 173; this ensured that Obama would become the nation’s first black president. And there may be no group of people happier about Obama’s election than poker players.
Obama is a person who’s played a fair amount of poker in his time. When he was a senator in Illinois Obama used to play a lot of Texas Hold’em and 7 Card Stud and developed a reputation among his opponents as a smart player who didn’t bluff much.
During 2008 Presidential Race, word got out about Obama’s poker playing background and many professional players started to support his candidacy. In being a fellow poker player, Obama also understands the game and has a softer stance on it than the man who ran against him in John McCain. The big question is though; will this be a difference make in lifting the UIGEA?
The government is already getting lots of pressure from groups like the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) to lift the UIGEA since iMEGA recently appealed their lawsuit against the US Department of Justice. That probably won’t be enough to get the law lifted, but it’s definitely a help. And with Obama as the president, that’s just another plus in the quest to banish the UIGEA.
I don’t know how big of a part Obama will play in the future as far as getting rid of these ridiculous online gambling laws, but I do hope it’s a significant one since his stance towards poker is favorable.
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