Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Washington State Representative Chris Strow and his House Bill 1243, believe
that online gambling in the United States should be legal in the privacy of
your own home. In 2006, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was
signed into law by President George Bush, which makes online gambling
conducted in the United States a Class C Felony. Chris Strow plans to change
this law after introducing House Bill 1243 to correct what he considers an
inappropriate penalty for an activity responsible adults should be allowed
to do in the privacy of their own home. Strow said, "While I do see the need
for protecting our citizens from online gambling that may be scamming
innocent victims, I do think that there is also a level of accountability,
as an adult, to do as he or she chooses in his or her own home." "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," he added. Strow made a plea for state residents
to call and write to the Chairman of the House Commerce and Labor Committee,
Representative Steve Conway, to ask him to schedule a hearing for House Bill
1243.