Rally Held at State House; Nesson to Testify Before Committee

At 8:30 this morning, a contingent of supporters from the Harvard Law School chapter of the GPSTS joined members of the Massachusetts Poker Players' Alliance at a rally in front of the State House to protest Governor Deval Patrick's casino bill. Charlie Nesson, founder and president of the GPSTS, addressed the crowd about the dangers of criminalizing online poker, which a provision in section 15 of the bill would make punishable by fines of up to $25,000 — and two years' imprisonment.

GPSTS and PPA supporters then went into the State House to take part in a public hearing on the bill, which is drawing ever nearer to a vote on the floor of the House. Prof. Nesson is due to testify as part of the hearing some time this afternoon, to ask, and to get lawmakers asking, about how the provision made it into the bill in the first place.

More pictures and a full post are on their way! Stay tuned.