Washington Politician States Support for Online Poker

May 1 - Dino Rossi, a Republican politician running for gubernatorial in the state, asserted his support for Washington online poker during a radio interview this week.

Rossi was taking calls on the popular Dori Monson show from citizens who wanted to ask his opinion on issues ranging from traffic and congestion to the state budget.

The first caller asked Rossi about his stand on Washington online poker laws and the show host, Monson stated before he replied: "If you play online poker in this state, you can go to prison for ten years with a felony rap sheet. What would you do about that?"

Rossi was adamant in his response that he would never have signed legislation that called for an online poker player to be branded on the same level of crime as someone who deals in child pornography, for example.

"You have some college kid that's playing poker on his computer and you're going to give him a felony for it," said Rossi in the radio interview. "It doesn't make sense, it doesn't fit the crime."

When asked if he would promote legislation to overturn the current controversial online gambling laws in Washington state, Rossi seemed to shy away from answering whether he would actively commit to work on the law. He did, however, respond that he would certainly sign legislation that would overturn it.

Support for online poker continues to grow in Washington, thanks in part to the increasing pressure on government and legislators by organizations such as the million-member strong Poker Players Alliance. This grassroots body continues to promote the idea that online poker should not be considered a crime and that poker is a game of skill, rather than a gambling pastime.