McKenna Opposes Online Gaming Gains and Support of Tribes

Rob McKenna has become one of the frontrunners in the race for governor of Washington State. McKenna has pledged to protect Native American tribal casinos, which has earned him the respect and support of various tribes throughout the state.
Washington has some of the strictest laws regarding online poker in the country. Some advocates call for removing the ban on online gaming. McKenna has said that he will keep the ban in place, which will protect tribal revenues. His contender, Jay Islee, hasn’t taken a position on online gaming. Tribal spokespersons have said they will continue to support McKenna as he promises to protect their main source of income.

Many Washington Republicans have started looking to nontribal casinos as a means of generating new revenue for the state. Tribes are concerned that other Republican lawmakers might be tempted to loosen the laws opposing online gaming.

Most tribes feel online gaming laws would be passed at their expense. They are unlikely to support any bill that would legalize online poker unless the law was clearly written in their favor. Even if McKenna changes his mind regarding online gaming legislation, the tribes are satisfied by his commitment to protect their revenues. Washington tribes have pledged five times more money towards McKenna’s campaign than towards Islee’s.

However, not all tribes support McKenna in his big. Some tribes have started to open up to the idea that online gaming might yield some benefits for the state. The Tulalip tribe has recently become one of the stronger supporters of online gaming legislation.

The probability of the online gaming ban being lifted in Washington appears to be low. However, the tribes that oppose online gaming are confident that it won’t be lifted if McKenna wins the election.

This blog entry was posted on Monday, September 17th, 2012 at 8:26 pm and is filed under Casino News.