Senator Margarita Prentice only hates certain kinds of gambling.The state budget crisis is causing some Washington politicians to reconsider the role gambling might play in bridging a $2.6 billion gap. Gov. Chris Gregoire says she’s considering allowing four-minute Keno games to help raise up to $30 million, a move which has earned her an unlikely ally.State Sen. Margarita Prentice is no one’s idea of a friend to Washington gamblers. In 2006, she sponsored legislation that made online poker a felony in line with possessing kiddie porn or torturing an animal. A bill seen largely as Prentice’s attempt to help Indian gaming interests that heavily contributed to her re-election campaigns.So why is Prentice considering sponsoring the Keno legislation? Maybe it’s that climbing out of a budget hole on the backs of gamblers is more politically palatable than taxes. Or maybe Prentice is just trying to help Washington’s math-challenged students. After all, Advanced Algebra looks easy compared to making a winning prop bet.
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