Former NY Sen. Al D'Amato Soon to Lobby For Online Poker

According to a report in Newsday, New York’s former 18-year Senator Alfonse D'Amato may soon be lobbying on behalf of the online poker industry.

While this rumor has circulated through the poker community for the past week or so, it did not appear in print until yesterday.D'Amato, whose love of poker is well-known, has been talking with the 140,000-member Poker Players Alliance’s president, Michael Bolcarek about becoming the group's lobbyist and spokesman.

"We looked for three-term senators who love poker," Bolcerek quipped. "He fit the bill."

Reports appearing on http://www.pokerhelper.com/ state that D'Amato will be paid by online poker rooms that are helping fund the online poker lobbying effort, including Poker Stars and Full Tilt Poker. D’Amato seems the perfect guy for this job. He spent 18 years in the Senate, knows the people, has access to them, and his years of experience allows him to understand all of the nuances needed to succeed on Capitol Hill. In addition, he loves to play poker.

Although Bolcerek said there is no deal yet, Pokerhelper.com reports that it is a done deal. D'Amato is know to be an avid poker player, and while he was in office the Senator frequently played in home games with radio personality Howard Stern and other celebrities.

Because of his love of poker, I’m hoping that his dedication to protecting online poker will come from his heart, and not be just another lobbying assignment.