Right2bet is predominantly fighting for the rights of Europeans to bet freely, however we've taken a keen interest in the actions of our friends in the US, who are ultimately fighting the same cause.

The Poker Players Alliance is an organization made up of over one million members, and for years, they've been lobbying their government to overthrow laws which prohibit Americans from betting online.

They were buoyed recently by Barack Obama's decision to delay enforcement of a 2006 law aimed at cracking down on internet wagers.

'The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act' of 2006 was signed into law by President Bush, and was due to take effect on December 1st 2009, however pro-gaming lobbyists, led strongly by the PPA managed to convince the US Treasury Department that the statute was vague and unenforceable.

Lobbyists now want to use the delay to their advantage and are spending millions of dollars trying to get new legislation passed, aimed at giving US gamblers the freedom they richly deserve.

Te PPA is an organization we strongly admire and support. We're proud that the right2bet campaign boasts American friends and partners in the form of the GPWA and the APCW, and we aim to continue building relationships Stateside with those who share our goals.

Both EU and American citizens deserve the right to choose whether or not they want to have a bet, and with which operator they then bet with. The arguments of those opposed to a liberalized betting market are as vociferous Stateside, as they are in Europe.

They claim that online gambling will lead to addiction, fraud and crime yet there is little that proves this to be the case, while there is much to prove that regulation and competition leads to a safer and more secure betting environments for all players.

The PPA's executive director John Pappas put it nicely when he said: "I think there's a growing realization that prohibition probably isn't going to work, just like prohibitions throughout history have not worked.

"There needs to be a more common-sense approach, because it's not going away."

Right2bet wishes to give the PPA and others like them our full support. Our petition can be signed by anyone wishing to signal support for their freedom to choose, whether they're being restricted by draconian legislation in Europe or the US.