Anybody know, is it illegal to gamble in Washington (State) USA

[TheBayUser]

I heard from a friend today that it is a class b felony to gamble for real money in Washington (State) USA. does anyone know if this is true?

 

[winbig]

I heard from a friend today that it is a class b felony to gamble for real money in Washington (State) USA. does anyone know if this is true?

Yep, it's true

https://www.casinomeister.com/forums/threads/this-is-getting-out-of-hand.12902/

also:

Link Removed (invalid URL)

 

[The Watchdog]

Yes it is my friend

You get caught playing a poker game or any type of online casino game at your house and you might end up in front of a jury that might decide you deserve an equal treatment as a rapist or some one who comitted arm robbery...

Careful

 

[NoMouthToScream]

Does anyone have the link to the actual law and how it is stated?

Sorry to Hijack this thread, but does anyone know if there are any lobbyists in Washington trying to fix this?

 

[winbig]

Does anyone have the link to the actual law and how it is stated?

Old / Expired Link

And

You do not have permission to view link Log in or register now.

The latter URL has links to who voted for it, who voted against, etc...

[edit]You can usually find this stuff by going to xxhttp://www.state.[statecode].us and searching from there..ie: www.state.wa.us

 

[TheBayUser]

This country and this damn state especially the politicians are crooks. As we all probably know. They treat us like adolescents, and feel that we need someone to make decisions for us, thanks USA. I need to find a job in the Caribbean , I guess that could be a f/t online gambler.

 

[MSWILS411]

wait a minute ARE YOU SUre Guys//

I used to live in Bremerton wa. Before that Everett Wa. Hubby was military. It all depends on where you live say for instance I took my laptop and went to paulsbo logged on won a million dollars they cannot touch me, I used to go to the bowlinng alley right there in silverdale go upstairs play blackjack all day. Go to tulalip casino . Now My mom whom lives in spokane. she has won many times off online casino and has them sometimes send her a check and never once has had a problem. Now unless shes just been glideing through without getting caught, But why can you not gamble online but you can out in town

 

[me_and_ed]

This country and this damn state especially the politicians are crooks. As we all probably know. They treat us like adolescents, and feel that we need someone to make decisions for us, thanks USA. I need to find a job in the Caribbean , I guess that could be a f/t online gambler.

3 Hours north, the safe confines of Canada.

 

[wangpoker]

3 Hours north, the safe confines of Canada.

I think stephen harper will follow US if he's in office the next term.

 

[winbig]

I used to go to the bowlinng alley right there in silverdale go upstairs play blackjack all day. Go to tulalip casino . Now My mom whom lives in spokane. she has won many times off online casino and has them sometimes send her a check and never once has had a problem. Now unless shes just been glideing through without getting caught, But why can you not gamble online but you can out in town

Re: Blackjack: This law doesn't apply to anything offline.

Re: Your mom winning online: If they catch her for whatever reason, she will be prosecuted. It's now a felony.

Re: Not being able to gamble online, but still gamble offline: You'd have to ask your congressman or the Governor himself to figure that one out

This was just passed recently.

[edit]I'd seriously consider persuading her not to gamble online anymore. I could almost bet that banks are now instructed to report transactions (physical checks & ACH transfers originating overseas, Neteller(?), etc(?)) to accounts within WA. Not sure, but how else would they plan on arresting people? There's always going to be a paper trail.

It wouldn't surprise me if they were also instructed to block transactions from Neteller, Moneybookers, etc. I know for a fact that you already can't get a Neteller account if you live in Maryland. Seeing as how 99.9% of their business is in Casino transactions, maybe they'll be proactive about it and add Washington to their banned list.

 

[nelvitt]

WA banks are not banned from neteller. I have a friend who lives in WA who gambles online without any problem. From what I hear the law was meant to go after websites and referral services based in WA. Also, a friend of mine just recently cashed a check from pokerstars in WA. It is just a check, it doesnt have any insignia from the website or anything like that.

 

[winbig]

WA banks are not banned from neteller. I have a friend who lives in WA who gambles online without any problem. From what I hear the law was meant to go after websites and referral services based in WA. Also, a friend of mine just recently cashed a check from pokerstars in WA. It is just a check, it doesnt have any insignia from the website or anything like that.

Take it as you will, but it's still a felony, and to keep doing it just increases your chances of getting caught IMHO.

If the law was *only* meant to go after websites and referral services based in WA, it wouldn't include verbage for those that gamble online.

They'll figure out a way to find the people that are gambling online, and then let the convictions begin.

 

[The Watchdog]

Washington

Washington new laws apply especifically to online gambling.

Not only poker. Sports, casino, bingo. All types of online gambling performed from Washington are restricted.

It has become a felony that can be punished with up to 6 years in prison. Basically you can be caught DUI and you will get better treatment than a gambler...

Damn, we are such a cancer to society.... Dunno why, but we are...

jajajaj I really know why... but thats not the question here...

 

[winbig]

It has become a felony that can be punished with up to 6 years in prison.

Don't forget about the (up to) $10,000 fine....and don't count on using your winnings to pay it, as I'm sure it'll be confiscated.

 

[jetset]

I wonder how long it will be before Washington state summons up the will to start prosecuting individual residents for online gambling - that's a big step which may have wide electoral consequences for Mde Gregoire and her legislators.

They may take a leaf out of the DoJ's book and try and nail a couple of people, giving the arrests plenty of publicity to cow everyone else into submission and make sure they do their gambling in state approved venues like Indian casinos!

 

[nelvitt]

There is no way for Washington State to enforce this law without breaking the constitution, which would include tapping peoples internet access etc... No one IMHO will ever be prosecuted, and if they are they will be able to easily have the charges dropped.

What I thought was even funnier is that this law was brought up by a representative from Renton, WA. Renton is a neighborhood known for the vast amount of non-tribal casinos. Obviously she was paid off by someone with other interests...

 

[winbig]

There is no way for Washington State to enforce this law without breaking the constitution, which would include tapping peoples internet access etc... No one IMHO will ever be prosecuted, and if they are they will be able to easily have the charges dropped.

If they have probable cause (via a tip from someone, etc), all they would need to do is summon logs from that person's ISP, as well as bank records. That's all they'd need to make a strong case against someone.

 

[winbig]

There is no way for Washington State to enforce this law without breaking the constitution, which would include tapping peoples internet access etc... No one IMHO will ever be prosecuted, and if they are they will be able to easily have the charges dropped.

If they have probable cause (via a tip from someone, etc), all they would need to do is summon logs from that person's ISP, as well as bank records. The person in question had better be able to account for every deposit made, and where it came from. That's all they'd need to make a strong case against someone.

 

[lots0]

There is no way for Washington State to enforce this law without breaking the constitution, which would include tapping peoples internet access etc... No one IMHO will ever be prosecuted, and if they are they will be able to easily have the charges dropped.

Ever hear of the Patriot Act?

All the US JOD has to say (not prove mind you, just say) is that the online gambler is funding terror and they can do perdy much whatever they want, access ALL your records and take actions up to and including secretly breaking into your home when your not there so they can plant nasty little bugs in your house, on your phones and computers.

Oh and by the by, opponents of online gambling have already been accusing online casinos of funding terror...

“...easily have the charges dropped”... You have never had any experience with our American legal system I see...

 

[winbig]

including secretly breaking into your home when your not there so they can plant nasty little bugs in your house, on your phones and computers.

And when they do get the warrant, they don't even need to knock before breaking down your door

 

[Linus]

I wonder how long it will be before Washington state summons up the will to start prosecuting individual residents for online gambling - that's a big step which may have wide electoral consequences for Mde Gregoire and her legislators.

They may take a leaf out of the DoJ's book and try and nail a couple of people, giving the arrests plenty of publicity to cow everyone else into submission and make sure they do their gambling in state approved venues like Indian casinos!

I suspect it will be a long time, perhaps never, unless someone forces their hand, with some kind of publicity stunt. (Gambling on the courthouse steps, until he gets arrested, for example.)

 

[Lionking32]

Gambling in Washington State

Okay, time for me to get in my two cents worth, since I have paid close attention so several things about good ol Washington state.
Yes, it is illegal to gamble online in Washington State, new law passed a short time ago, but, not all forms of online gambling are sanctioned by this new law. Class A and Class B forms of gambling are covered by the new law, slots, poker, etc. Bingo is Class C gambling, not included with this new law passed. My mother is a boss in an indian casino up here and got ran thru on this whole deal.
Next thing, Washington state is the new law "test" state. There have been alot of things tried in Washington just to see if they work or not, this "law" isnt gunna last.
Another, a few years back Oregon State had a class action suit against online casinos and tried to ban the online gambling, it sank! Why? One thing, the places we gamble online are offshore accounts, sites, cannot be governed by US laws, another it was concluded that it was an intrusion on citizens rights, the right to do what they want in their own home, an invasion of privacy.
My thought is the big beef came around when Ebay bought out Paypal, they didnt want to promote online gambling, so they lobby against it, and they can, because they are a big company. Now they are pizzed off cause all these other companies have started up to transfer funds online and I am sure it is damaging their pocketbook.

There is a state law here that its illegal for indian casinos to have slot machines too, but that isnt workin for the state either, the tribes pay the fines and now there are slots in every indian casino in the state.

I see this new state law failing like Oregons attempt at banning online gambling, I live here and I am a gambler and theres nobody gunna tell me that I cant gamble online. So all you worried about it, quit sweatin it, it wont last.

Lionking32

 

[frufrugirl]

Slots are illegal in Washington land Casinos?

NO way! lol Do you mean the sponsor of the Washington state law is receiving donations from Casinos operating outside of Washington State law, namely, with illegal slots? Thats news! Does that also mean that I broke the law by playing slots yesterday in a Casino? (hey folks it was almost 100 here yesterday and the Casinos are airconditioned) Thanks or the post it made me smile about this whole situation! So much for regulation!

 

[YuraK]

Does anyone have information on how WA players reacted? I mean did they stop gambling online? Maybe casino reps can comment how much less players from Washington they have now?

 

[frufrugirl]

newspaper reacts to law/interesting

I just came across this article researching something else..it came from a major Washington NewsPaper with alot of clout. IM leaving name and paper off incase im violateing something. Oh yes, IM violating the law by being on this forum!This column may be illegal

By 8888
*****

Related

**********************************************************

The first casualty in the state's war on Internet gambling is a local Web site where nobody was actually doing any gambling.

What a Bellingham man did on his site was write about online gambling. He reviewed Internet casinos. He had links to them, and ran ads by them. He fancied himself a guide to an uncharted frontier, even compiling a list of "rogue casinos" that had bilked gamblers.

All that, says the state the ads, the linking, even the discussing violates a new state law barring online wagering or using the Internet to transmit "gambling information."

"It's what the feds would call 'aiding and abetting,' " says the director of the state's gambling commission, Rick Day. "Telling people how to gamble online, where to do it, giving a link to it that's all obviously enabling something that is illegal."

Uh-oh. This is starting to get a little creepy.

I hadn't been all worked up about the state's crusade against Internet gambling, including the new law that makes most online betting a felony.

Yes, it's insincere. This is the same state that's happy to enable your online wagering if you're playing the ponies.

But mostly it seemed the law was unenforceable. And pass. A society steeped in televised Texas Hold'em and Indian casinos is suddenly supposed to recoil at the idea of placing bets with a mouse? I figured the law was a bluff.

Then I heard about Todd Boutte. He's a former Wal-Mart worker in Bellingham who started a casino review called IntegrityCasinoGuide. He worried about the new law but figured he'd be OK because his site has no actual gambling.

Not so, said the state. Writing about online gambling in a way that seems promotional can earn a cease-and-desist order, and potentially, a criminal charge. Boutte learned this when a Bellingham Herald article featured state officials saying his site was illegal. He later shut it down and is trying to sell it out of state.

"1984 has finally arrived," Boutte says. "I can't believe this is happening in a liberal place like Washington."

More may be on the way. The state plans to hire an investigator to enforce the new law.

Gambling officials told me The paper may be afoul of the law because we print a poker how-to column, "Card Shark," by gambler Daniel Negreanu. He sometimes tells readers to hone their skills at online casinos. And at the end of each column is a Web address, where readers can comment.

If you type in that address, you whiz off to Negreanu's digital casino based in the Antilles.

It's a tangled Web, isn't it? The state says we'd best do our part to untangle it.

"My suggestion to you is to remove from your paper any advice about online gambling and any links to illegal sites," Day said.

So even this column could be illegal?

The state's gone from trying to control gambling, which is legit, to trying to control people speaking about gambling.

It's hard to take coming from a state that bombards us with pitches for the biggest sucker's bet of all. You know, the one they call the lottery.


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