Post by Admin on Dec 19, 2014 10:01:41 GMT -8
This is the committee our poker efforts must go through. It is important that we reach out to these specific lawmakers and urge them to support the bill.
It all begins with convincing the Chairman to give the bill a hearing. That Chairman is Rep. Chris Hurst, and we all must write to him and urge him to give our bill a hearing in the coming session. - christopher.hurst@leg.wa.gov
Here is a sample letter, you may use all or part:
Dear Representative Hurst,
Poker has a long tradition in the State of Washington, and for the State to consider me a felon for playing the same game online that they approve of me playing in an Indian casino is unconscionable. The convenience of being able to play at home rather than those venues should not be criminal, and the stakes available on an online platform allow me to play for much lower risk. Rather than threaten players with a felony, the state should allow local interests the opportunity to offer those games to me, with consumer protections put in place by the legislature and the Gambling Commission, to prevent against fraud and abuse, and to protect against underage play. There are currently sites available to Washington State players, sites that have voluntarily left regulated markets in the US, where no such protections exist. The current prohibition only prohibits local operators and state oversight. It is time for a change.
Please bring HB1114 up for a hearing and allow supporters to make their case, and please support regulations to provide protections against those issues prohibition simply ignores.
Thank you for your consideration
It all begins with convincing the Chairman to give the bill a hearing. That Chairman is Rep. Chris Hurst, and we all must write to him and urge him to give our bill a hearing in the coming session. - christopher.hurst@leg.wa.gov
Here is a sample letter, you may use all or part:
Dear Representative Hurst,
Poker has a long tradition in the State of Washington, and for the State to consider me a felon for playing the same game online that they approve of me playing in an Indian casino is unconscionable. The convenience of being able to play at home rather than those venues should not be criminal, and the stakes available on an online platform allow me to play for much lower risk. Rather than threaten players with a felony, the state should allow local interests the opportunity to offer those games to me, with consumer protections put in place by the legislature and the Gambling Commission, to prevent against fraud and abuse, and to protect against underage play. There are currently sites available to Washington State players, sites that have voluntarily left regulated markets in the US, where no such protections exist. The current prohibition only prohibits local operators and state oversight. It is time for a change.
Please bring HB1114 up for a hearing and allow supporters to make their case, and please support regulations to provide protections against those issues prohibition simply ignores.
Thank you for your consideration