Minoriteeburg
31-05-2006, 17:07
this is definitely my big WTF story of the day.
is online gambling so bad that it should be considered a felony, or does Washington have some crazy gambling rules that i dont know about?
I dont gamble myself but I believe it should be legal everywhere.
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Washington State Makes It a Felony to Play Poker Online
by I. Rose
As of June 7, it is now a felony in the state of Washington to play poker on the Internet.
The bill, S.S.B. No. 6613, has stirred up great anxiety in poker forums. Many feel, correctly, that they have been blind-sided. I searched the databases of Washington newspapers and could find almost nothing written about the law as it was making its way through the Legislature. In fact, when the Seattle Times published an article about bills to make Internet gambling a crime, it only mentioned proposals pending in Congress.
Now, players are worried that they might get arrested. Some are trying to organize political committees to get the new law changed.
In the real world, the new law will make little difference. In fact, the Washington State Gambling Commission has taken the official position that the bill merely "clarifies" existing law:
Although Internet gambling has never been an authorized activity in Washington, this law was passed to make it very clear that Internet gambling is illegal in Washington. This includes gambling on the Internet, operating an Internet gambling site, or facilitating Internet gambling in any way.
Is the Commission right, that being a mere bettor has always been illegal in Washington? Yes - at least to some forms of gambling.
Prior to being amended by S.S.B. No. 6613, the law read:
Whoever knowingly transmits or receives gambling information by telephone, telegraph, radio, semaphore or similar means, or knowingly installs or maintains equipment for the transmission or receipt of gambling information shall be guilty of a gross misdemeanor...
This made betting by phone with a bookie a crime. But it is questionable whether playing poker on the Internet fell under this law.
Other Washington statutes make it a crime to participate in any form of gambling that is not authorized by the state or a pure social game. But there is at least some doubt as to whether these apply to the Internet at all, let alone to a game where the operator and all of the other players are in foreign states.
rest of story here (http://www.rgtonline.com/Article.cfm?ArticleId=64810&CategoryName=Gaming%20Strategies)
is online gambling so bad that it should be considered a felony, or does Washington have some crazy gambling rules that i dont know about?
I dont gamble myself but I believe it should be legal everywhere.
-----------------------------
Washington State Makes It a Felony to Play Poker Online
by I. Rose
As of June 7, it is now a felony in the state of Washington to play poker on the Internet.
The bill, S.S.B. No. 6613, has stirred up great anxiety in poker forums. Many feel, correctly, that they have been blind-sided. I searched the databases of Washington newspapers and could find almost nothing written about the law as it was making its way through the Legislature. In fact, when the Seattle Times published an article about bills to make Internet gambling a crime, it only mentioned proposals pending in Congress.
Now, players are worried that they might get arrested. Some are trying to organize political committees to get the new law changed.
In the real world, the new law will make little difference. In fact, the Washington State Gambling Commission has taken the official position that the bill merely "clarifies" existing law:
Although Internet gambling has never been an authorized activity in Washington, this law was passed to make it very clear that Internet gambling is illegal in Washington. This includes gambling on the Internet, operating an Internet gambling site, or facilitating Internet gambling in any way.
Is the Commission right, that being a mere bettor has always been illegal in Washington? Yes - at least to some forms of gambling.
Prior to being amended by S.S.B. No. 6613, the law read:
Whoever knowingly transmits or receives gambling information by telephone, telegraph, radio, semaphore or similar means, or knowingly installs or maintains equipment for the transmission or receipt of gambling information shall be guilty of a gross misdemeanor...
This made betting by phone with a bookie a crime. But it is questionable whether playing poker on the Internet fell under this law.
Other Washington statutes make it a crime to participate in any form of gambling that is not authorized by the state or a pure social game. But there is at least some doubt as to whether these apply to the Internet at all, let alone to a game where the operator and all of the other players are in foreign states.
rest of story here (http://www.rgtonline.com/Article.cfm?ArticleId=64810&CategoryName=Gaming%20Strategies)