Attention all felons/online poker players in Washington State … at least one person in your government is looking out for you. Rep. Chris Strow (R-Whidbey Island) has introduced legislation to amend last year\’s legislation that made online gambling in Washington State a Class C felony.
\”Most certainly choosing to gamble, or play a game of skill such as poker, should not have been made a crime equivalent to possessing child pornography or threatening the Governor.\” Rep. Strow told the Media.
True dat … true dat.
More good info on \”Operation Wheel Draw\” (HB 1243) here.
However, the proposed legislation apparently doesn\’t rewrite the component of the Washington State law that made it a felony to disseminate \”GAMBLING INFORMATION\” online … so poker bloggers are still in danger of going to the hoosegow with the same legal designation as pedophiles for talking about a game that may or may not be played for money.
You know, Pokerati has been contending that it\’s up to poker players to make our issues matter to the non-poker public. But maybe it\’s on us to see beyond poker, and start caring about threats that have nothing to do with the game … like threats to that whole First Amendment, not to mention general freedom of intellectual discourse on the inernet.