The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) is bracing for major changes in personnel and location in the upcoming weeks.
The poker player advocacy group today announced that Michael Bolcerek has stepped down as president to pursue other opportunities. John Pappas, formerly the group's vice president of government relations, has assumed the roll of executive director.
Furthermore, the organization, currently based in San Francisco, is moving its headquarters to Washington, D.C., to be closer to the fight against anti-Internet gambling legislation.
Pappas has been with the PPA since 2005, first as an outside consultant and then as the group's main contact in Washington. As executive director, Pappas will lead the organization's efforts in Washington to clarify federal laws that impact the rights of Internet poker players.
There are now four bills in Congress to reverse some of the damage done by the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), enacted in October 2006. One in particular, The Skill Game Protection Act, would exempt skill games, such as poker, from the UIGEA.