A group of Harvard University students have launched a protest against plans to ban online poker in the state of Massachusetts.
The Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society (GPSTS) formed at Harvard Law School is sponsoring a rally against state governor Deval Patrick's gaming bill.
The controversial casino legislation includes plans to outlaw poker. If the bill is passed it would mean that Massachusetts residents who play poker online face a two-year jail term or $25,000 fine.
It would also mean the state is the only place in the US where online poker is a crime.
Charles Nesson, the Harvard professor who founded the GPSTS, described the legislation as "crazy".
"I don't think filling our expensive jail cells with poker players is what Massachusetts voters had in mind when they elected Deval Patrick," he added, suggesting that governor "owes the people of Massachusetts an explanation" of where the anti-poker bill came from.
The GPSTS views poker as a game of skill and suggests that it can be used as a teaching tool in academic institutions.
A group of Harvard University students have launched a protest against plans to ban online poker in the state of Massachusetts.