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WA Law: 5 Years in Prison for Gambling Online

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the a-sawbuck-says-you-can't-give-up-gambling dept.

tpoker writes "Online gambling has been an ongoing legal issue for the federal government, but Washington State has recently decided to take matters into their own hands. The Seattle PI reports, 'Beginning next month [June 7th], Washington residents who play poker or make other types of wagers on the Internet will be committing a Class C felony, equivalent under the law to possessing child pornography, threatening the governor or torturing an animal. Although the head of the state Gambling Commission says it is unlikely that individual online gamblers will be targeted for arrest, the new law carries stiff penalties: as much as five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.'"

3 of 535 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Place your bets.... by kodyjoe · · Score: 5, Informative

    The state profits on gambling from horse racing and the state lottery. The Indian casino lobby is huge. Since the online guys don't kick back to the state, and since the Indians have deeper pockets, guess who gets the shaft? Nothing to do with the churches this time.

  2. Re:Place your bets.... by El+Torico · · Score: 5, Informative

    "Either that or it's a persuasive tribal lobbyist."

    Bingo!

    I wondered, "Who sponsored this and who contributed to the sponsor's election?" The sponsor was Senator Margarita Prentice (D) 11th District, and here are some of her financial supporters -

    WA INDIAN GAMING ASSN OLYMPIA WA
    NISQUALLY INDIAN TRIBE OLYMPIA WA
    MUCKLESHOOT INDIAN TRIBE AUBURN WA
    CHIPS CASINO LLC BREMERTON WA
    CONF TRIBES OF COLVILLE RESERVATION NESPELEM WA
    GOLDIE'S SHORELINE CASINO SHORELINE WA

    This is from http://www.pdc.wa.gov/datarequests/factbooks/pdf/F actBook2004.pdf page 75. My thanks to "Dan" of the 2+2 Forums for finding the contributor information.

    --
    In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is usually crucified.
  3. Re:Might as well kill someone before you gamble. by Trailer+Trash · · Score: 5, Informative
    The funiest part is that in WA we have tribal gambling, lotteries, and you can even have actual poker rooms off the reservation if you get the permits etc. So gambling is apparently fine, it's the online part that is illegal.

    It's not surprising:

    http://www.theagitator.com/archives/026550.php#026 550

    From the article:

    Probably won't surprise you to learn that the bill's sponsor is heavily supported by Washington State's thriving bricks-and-mortar casino industry.

    Simply trying to protect their business. I am just waiting for the day that our bought and paid for legislators are kicked out of office.

    --
    Do you have ESP?