Is Online Poker Legal In Washington State

admin 8/2/2022

Is Online Poker Legal In Washington State Usa
Wa State Online Poker
Is Online Poker Legal In Washington State Due
Is Online Poker Legal In Washington State Now

State law in Washington does strongly suggest that poker is considered a form of gambling (refer to Section 9.46); gambling involves 'contests of chance,' and contests of chance occur when an outcome is predicated to 'a material degree' on luck, fortune, chance - whatever you want to call it. Slot machines, video poker and video pull-tabs, pachinko and pachislo machines, and other electronic games of chance are illegal in Washington. Antique Slot Machines It is legal to possess an antique slot machine as long as it is at least 25 years old, is played at no cost, and is not operated for gambling purposes.

Superior Court Judge Mary Roberts of King County in Washington state, dealt a huge blow to online poker fans yesterday. Roberts upheld a 2006 law passed in Washington State, that made playing Internet poker a felony. Roberts announced her decision as nearly 70-80 poker supporters outside the Justice center exuded their disbelief.

However, all online poker in Washington is illegal. As with casino gambling, there seems to be no political will to legalize internet games. Washington Lottery. The Washington State Lottery was introduced in 1982 after House Bill No. 1251 was passed into legislation. The intent was to provide the State with extra income, which could then be.

Is Online Poker Legal In Washington State Usa

“We are not criminals. We’re not people off in the hinterland. We really are average citizens,” said Drew Lesofski, the Washington, D.C.-based director of Poker Players Alliance. His group, which claims a million members nationwide, organized the rally. “This censorship can’t be tolerated,” he said.

Lee Rousso, an attorney fighting for Internet poker player rights, argued that this law violated a US Constitutional commerce clause and is cruel and unusual punishment. Rousso continued to ascertain that this law was a protectionist measure by the state that discriminates against legal, out of state companies, who would like to do business in Washington. The law forces gamblers in the state to frequent their local casinos and to spend money in the state as opposed to online.

Bill Sponsor

Not surprisingly, the original bill was sponsored by Senator Margarita Prentice, who’s district has a number of casinos and land based poker rooms that capitalize from the law. A similar type of practice is happening throughout Europe, where countries are trying to ban online gambling so that citizens spend money in their state operated card rooms and casinos. The Netherlands is one such country trying to crack down on Internet gambling, but is facing fierce resistance from the European Union (EU). The EU is giving countries like The Netherlands and Greece a final warning before bringing them to court.

The same thing cannot be said here as the US government shows no signs of stepping in to repeal this decision. Currently, there is no explicit federal law against playing Internet poker. Some argue that the 1961 Wire Act, which essentially made betting and making wagers on sports over a wire communication facility a crime, does not explicitly refer to Internet poker.

Punishment for Internet Gambling in Washington State

Wa State Online Poker

Since the law was enacted in 2006, no Internet poker player has been charged. A representative from the Washington State Gambling Commission stated that players do fall under the law, but their primary focus has been on operators of Internet gambling sites. Again, this law makes it a Class C felony, for a person caught playing poker online in the state of Washington, a crime on the same level as child molestation.

Internet Poker Player Reactions

“I don’t know why the government would want to put me in jail, because I want to relax and play poker a couple of hours a night in the privacy of my home,” said Linda McCabe.

For many Internet poker players, they want to see big brother stay out of their lives. They see it as a hypocrisy that the government can outlaw an average citizen from playing Internet poker, but still allow their citizens to purchase lottery tickets from them online. This is a serious issue not only for Internet gamblers but for individuals rights in the United States. It should be interesting to see if other states follow suit.

After reading this article, you may be interested in our articles on:

Legal Gambling USA

Online casino games, poker, sports and horse racing betting websites authorized in USA

With Legal-Gambling-USA.com, enjoy our selection of online poker legal in Washington to play online poker legally.

This ranking only list online poker websites authorized in Washington.

Note: Delaware became the first state to legalize online gambling on June 2012. New Jersey became the third state to legalize online gambling while Nevada became the first state to legalize poker. Other states like Oklahoma have not particularly banned online gambling but they have prohibited all kinds of gambling.

Online Poker News in Washington

Washington State May Revise Heavy Online Poker Restrictions in 2016

January 17, 2016 — Washington State has some of the harshest laws against online poker in the entire United States. On the national stage, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed in 20...

Mississippi and Washington could not see online poker regulated

February 16, 2015 — Both US states, Mississippi and Washington, seemed to be interested in getting on board but it seems now that, online poker regulation is more of a dream that will never come true. The two stat...

The state of Washington might decriminalize online poker this year

January 19, 2015 — The state of Washington and its legislation against online poker made the game punishable by prison sentences and fines up to $10,000. These are radical and drastic measures have not brought any p...

Is Online Poker Legal In Washington State Due

Is Online Poker Legal In Washington State Now

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