Poker players have been notoriously apathetic give our sheer numbers and the size of the industry, which employs tens of thousands. Yet, many have done nothing to help the cause. We bitch and complain, but when it comes to action, we’ve done next to nothing. Inaction has allowed anti-poker activists to make the rules. We abdicated the fight with indifference and a lack of willpower.
Until now.
Let’s prove everybody wrong.
One time.
Let’s stand together for one shining moment.
Let’s do this.
Poker players sat on our asses for years. The vast majority of us did nothing to help our cause. We bitch and complain and talk a good game, but when it comes to action, we’ve done nothing. And so inaction allowed the zealots to take over and make the rules. We abdicated the fight with utter indifference and a lack of willpower.
We lost.
Well, now is the time to take our game back. So, let’s seize this moment.
I hereby call for a five-day boycott of The Venetian poker room.
Starting at 12:01 am on Monday, July 22nd, I ask that everyone who supports online poker’s legalization in the United States stay out of The Venetian. The boycott will end when the clock strikes midnight on Friday-Saturday, July 26th. That means, no poker action during Monday through Friday for that entire week.
One more time: Monday, July 22nd through Friday, July 26th. NO POKER AT THE VENETIAN.
I’m not asking for much. No personal sacrifice is required. Those of you who enjoy playing poker at The Venetian can continue doing so — before and after those dates. During that week go play someplace else. Moreover, I don’t want to see any of the employees hurt who work at The Venetian. Some of them are friends of mine. From the private conversations I’ve had with them, they’re embarrassed to be working for someone as selfish and hopelessly out of touch as Sheldon Adelson, who owns The Venetian.
So let’s now send a clear message that the poker community is outraged by Adelson’s comments and actions about online poker. A five-day boycott shows Adelson and his corporate enablers that we mean serious business — and we’re taking it elsewhere for a week.
Sure, this boycott won’t bankrupt Adelson. He’s worth billions. It won’t impact The Venetian’s bottom line much. But unity and action show we’re no longer going to let our lives be shaped by some self-centered Neanderthal with no understanding of how online poker really works and continues to lie about the dangers he sees only in his imagination.
What do I expect the boycott to accomplish? Perhaps The Venetian’s numbers and revenues will drop a little. That’s not the point. This isn’t a fight about profits. It’s about making a statement. Let’s do whatever we can to create an empty poker room for five straight days. Let’s show Adelson that the poker community will not sit passively and remain silent while he trashes our game and denies us our rights.
We must do something. We must take a stand. We must vote with our feet and our money. This is truly a “we will no longer sit in the back of the bus” moment for poker.
Let’s boycott The Venetian poker room for one week.
Please join the fight. Just as important, please help us to spread the word. Twitter. Facebook. Word of mouth. Bring it up at The Venetian if you play there. Ask if anyone at your table has heard about the boycott. And when they say no, then tell them about it.
In the coming weeks leading up to the boycott, I’ll be posting additional suggestions on how players and media can help get the word out so The Venetian stays empty for five days.
For once in your life, let’s do something. This time for action is now.
Note: Be advised that my comments are entirely my own and do not reflect the views of any of my associates or employers, past or present.
READ: Las Vegas Sun coverage
READ: An update