Director, Commonwealth Policy Center

There's a bill in the KY legislature that would redefine poker and blackjack as games of skill and says the law shall not consider them as games of chance. Of course, this is a clever way to legitimize casino games without calling it gambling. But can you really change the meaning of long understood words without consequences? If you say black but actually mean white, the terms are confused and there is no understanding on what is trying to be conveyed. The stakes are higher when it comes to major public policy decisions that impact communities. The meaning of poker has been changed to advance a pro-casino agenda and just because a lawmaker says we should call it a game of skill doesn't actually make it a game of skill. In fact, we're taking a big gamble if we dare believe it.