Whether you play poker at a brick and mortar casino or online in the privacy of your own home, you have some lawmaker, some lobbying group, or some trade association, to thank for that ability. And if you want to continue to be able to play poker, you should be aware of what threats there are to that right and who is fighting to protect it for you.

Most casinos are fairly secure in their future. While state legislatures may limit the number of tables, the stakes at the game, their hours of operations, and other specifics, there is no widespread effort to close down traditional casinos. In fact, as the economy continues to struggle, many states and local municipalities from Delaware to California are considering building more casinos as a source of potential revenue. But what is under attack is your ability to continue to play poker in cyberspace.

Since 1996, a strange partnership between the religious right and various business enterprises who view the internet as a danger to their livelihood (most notably the NFL) has worked together to try and ban US players from online gambling. Their efforts culminated in the sudden passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006, tacked on at the last moment to an unrelated but crucial national security bill. While UIGEA failed to make online poker illegal outright, it did interfere with the ability of US financial institutions to transfer funds to and from online gambling sites.

Since the UIGEA's passage, the effort to repeal the bill has been growing in size and strength. The first such effort was launched by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), a pro-poker rights lobbying group dedicated to "to speak with one voice to promote poker, and to protect the players' rights."

The PPA provides a clearing house for information on threats to poker around the country, organizes letter-writing campaigns, provides ratings on members of Congress, and lobbies politicians to support pro-poker legislation. PPA spearheaded its inaugural "National Poker Week" and ran a series of events in Washington, D.C. designed to raise awareness on Capitol Hill of the issues important to poker players.

PPA also has a legal support network that provides attorney referrals and legal assistance in cases where the right to play poker is under attack. Their major focus is getting courts to treat poker as a game of skill and not gambling, as though it were a game of chance.

The leading advocate for legalized online poker in Congress is Barney Frank (D-MA). He has introduced legislation each year since UIGEA's enactment aimed at repealing it while providing a mechanism for regulating and legalizing online poker. His current effort, HR 2267, has more than fifty co-sponsors and is due for consideration later this year.

Another group on the front lines of the battle is the professional association the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association, a leading voice for freedom over the internet. iMEGA took direct aim at UIGEA. They filed suit in US District Court seeking to declare it unconstitutional, and continue to provide legal support in various other cases around the country in which the government has attempted to block US players from online gambling sites.

Also providing support for the rights of internet gambling is the Interactive Gaming Council, a trade association that has been "championing the cause of regulated and responsible online gaming" since it was formed in 1996. Its current efforts are towards developing regulations for online poker as well as protecting the players who play over the internet.

So what can you do? Know who your friends are and support their efforts. Just remember, any freedom worth having is worth fighting for.

Shari Geller is an attorney, journalist, reporter, blogger, poker player, and observer of the poker scene. You can write her at BurnThis2@aol.com, and read her blog at www.burnthistoo.blogspot.com.