Washington Votes Forum

Introduced in the Senate on January 17, 2006, to prohibit operating or participating in internet gambling

The vote was 44 in favor, 0 opposed and 5 not voting

(Senate Roll Call 0 at Senate Journal 0)

Click here to view bill details.

This bill makes *Felons* out of the litterally hundreds of thousands of WA State residents who currently enjoy responsible wagering online. It is obvious that this bill was silently introduced so that the voice of the people would not be heard. Even Citizens who do not approve of gambling activities should be concerned of the far reaching arm that our State is trying to extend.

You can play poker at your buddy's house or at a casino, but you can't play on-line? It doesn't make any sense. By the way all you legislators - poker is a game of *skill*, not luck - making it different than slots or lotteries. If you don't believe me, find a few professional poker players and try to beat them in a tournament. Good luck :-) Please remove poker from the list of gambling activities that are felonies in this bill.

Do you actually think this is worthy of a FELONY? I have loved living in Washington all my life, but this absolutely incredible. Why not spend more time cleaning up the cities and crime, and less time on how people want to spend THEIR hard earned money!!!!

A game enjoyed online by the majority of the 20 million poker players in the US alone...and this all passed with little to no fanfare in the media? How can a 100 people who don't play the game make the decision for the 20 million who do?

You included poker? There is nothing worse than a law that makes a felon out of people enjoying a game. I suggest we criminalize horse back riding as well. I think that makes as much sense.

You allow all sorts of gambling in Washington, including sponsoring the *worst* gambling - lotteries. The state of Washington takes 50% of all wagers, while brick and morter casinos take a lot less, and on-line casinos take even less then that. You have punished the least problem, not the most. If you really think all this gambling is bad for society, you should ban it *all*. If you think it is okay when regulated, you should regulate on-line gaming just like you regulate brick and morter gaming in Washington. For legal purposes, it shouldn't matter whether I am playing poker for money in a cardroom or on the computer!

It worked really well with alcohol - NOT!

Are people playing poker online for dimes and quarters online really deserving to go to jail for years and pay huge fines? You should focus on ***real*** criminals - not people playing a game of skill and enjoying themselves. I play for fun, and never win or lose more than $20 - yet you consider me a felon? It doesn't make sense. In my opinion, this law seems like cruel and unusual punishment - and violates the constitution.

The Washington State Legislature stands before the tidalwave of the Internet and yells, "Stop!" with hands outstretched, demanding compliance. This legislation has already failed, yet it has been reaffirmed. Are we going to be raiding peoples' homes now? "Sorry, Billy, your daddy was playing poker online and now we've got to lock him up. Sucks to be you. We're still deciding whether or not to charge your mommy as an accomplice for paying for the Internet feed. Have a nice day, move along citizen."

Are you really going to punish the multiple thousands of people who play low-limit poker on the internet? How are you going to enforce this? Are you going to monitor web site usage? Either this is an empty bill with no enforcement, or you are going to be spying on where people go on the internet. Either way, passing this bill makes no sense.

Give me a break!!! Do you really think that people having *fun* playing in an online poker tournament is the same as other felonies? Are these people as bad for society as drug pushers? This seems especially silly given that I can drive 10 minutes and play in a poker tournament. I will repeat: Give me a break!!! The Legislators and Governor can't be this stupid, can they?

Is the state of Washington going to monitor what sites people go to and what they do there? How are they going to enforce this ban on gambling on the internet? Can some legislator or the governor please answer this question? How about someone at the attorney general's office? How about a policeman? Can anyone answer this question? Does anyone know where we can go to get these questions answered?

This is a very reactionary and paranoid board. Making internet gambling illegal doesn't mean someone will be watching what you do on the internet. Or come into your house while your sitting there in your bunny slippers and haul you off to jail. What it means is...It will be illegal for the companies posting this stuff on the internet. DUH! The state will (be sure) fine any company violating the law with big fines.

The bill ****specifically**** states it is illegal to send *or* recieve gambling information. It is *very* clear (not at all reactionary or paranoid) to assume that if I play poker for money online (no matter how small the stakes) - I will be considered a felon in the state of Washington. Before you post about legislation - you might want to actually read the legislation. Also, when you reply, you might want to actually read the post you are replying to - I was just showing how stupid the law is because they will not be able to enforce the internet gambling ban without spying on all internet activity. So we either have an unenforceable law or the state of washington violates our civil rights. Either way - this is a DUMB law. The only thing that would be worse is if this law was occasionally and randomly enforced. For example: I used to play for money, and whenever I would win money, I would report it to the IRS (as everyone is supposed to). Now if I play, my tax return could be used to put me in jail for a felony. Should I stop reporting my income to the IRS? Should I stop an enjoyable hobby of playing in online poker tournaments because I *could* be prosecuted as a felon? What makes this even more rediculous is that I can drive 10 minutes to a cardroom and do the exact same activity that would make me a felon if I do it over the internet. Why is the state putting me in this situation?

The state can try to fine all these companies if it wants - they are all out of country and have the WTO rules to back them up. They could try to force AOL and all the other ISP's to not allow their customers to go to these websites. You think that's gonna happen? NO. Therefore, the only recourse the state will have left will be to go after its own residents who visit these sites. If they are not willing to do this, why have the law at all? If they are willing to do this, how are they going to do this? This law is just plain silly.

If they are going after online gambling companies, why is that what is written in the bill? It sure looks like they are going after anybody in washington who gambles online.

They don't want any competition to their gambling revenues. Certainly not from online companies who do it better and don't take anywhere near as much money from the players. If we could (somehow) get gasoline over the internet cheaper than at the pump and then the legislature made that illegal - think of how much reaction there would be! I can't believe this law could be considered by an unbiased court and not struck down. I hope it comes up for review by the highest court in Washington. We should pass a law banning the monopolists!

It is a game of skill that uses cards - just like Bridge. Are you going to make playing Bridge for a penny a point a felony as well? This law is just plain dumb.

Better ban the internet! How ridiculous! Online casinos charge less and provide a better product than our legal options (cardrooms, casinos). We sure don't want these things for residents of Washington State! If you are concerned about people with gambling problems, you should be aware that it is much harder to get money to online sites (especially quickly). These sites also have automized tools that you can use to limit your losses and/or playing time. They also have many helpful pages and links to more pages to help problem gamblers. Even if they weren't better at preventing problem gambling, however, would we ban all alcohol because some people have a drinking problem? I think not. What we need to do is find ways to help the people who have gambling problems instead of punishing the vast majority who do it for fun and don't have a problem. Of course, that would be reasonable and our legislators are anything but that.

If you feel that gambling is bad - ban *all* gambling in the state of Washington. If not, then you regulate it all the *same* way. Should Amazon.com be made illegal while Borders and Waldenbooks are okay? For heaven's sake legislators - be consistant! Wake up - this is the new millenium and companies will do business on the internet (some will even do it better and cheaper than brick and morter versions). Make all businesses in the same market follow the same rules!

Thousands of people do it, the companies who provide it do it cheaper and better than brick and morter casinos in the state of washington, and we can do the exact same gambling legally at cardrooms and casinos. Is the state of washington *actually* going to use its law enforcement staff and budget to go after these "awful criminals" who like to play poker online for quarters and dollars? Do you really want to put these people in jail for years just for doing something they could legally do by driving a short distance? If not, then why pass this bill? Just to scare the most responsible and law-abiding of poker players? The people who actually have gambling problems will not care about it at all, and gamble away. These sites are everywhere - how are you going to stop them?

Is there anyone who supports this bill that can try to explain why we need this legislation? It makes no sense at all to me. Why am I a felon when I play in a poker tournament online when the exact same activity at a cardroom is legal? What in the world are the proponents of this bill thinking?

Unbelieveable that this law passed so easily with little opposition. I enjoy online poker and I can't believe that the state is telling me what I can and can't do with my own money. It is none of their damn business if I wish to gamble or have some fun with online poker.

I am an accountant and have studied tax law. The IRS is prohibited from releasing any information about your tax return to any other governmental agency with the exception of the Drug Enforcement Agency under penalty of a felony. Nevertheless, this law is absolutely absurd. Makes me ashamed to be a citizen of this Big Brother state.

I think everyone is missing the hidden agenda of this bill and the ones that will be followed by other states. ie:" WE WANT OUR CUT OF THE PROFITS. WE, AS THE GOVERNING BODIES, WANT A CUT OF EVERYTHING YOU HAVE AND ENJOY!!" Thus the bill.

you guys are completely wrong here. you can't impose your morals on the society! and on top of that, you're being hypocritical! you're only banning online poker? if you truly want to impose your old-age morals, at least be man enough to completely ban all forms of gambling in Washington, not just online poker. get your act together and focus on more important things such as poverty, school funding, cancer research, etc. stop wasting your time with online poker (which, believe me, is the least of your problems). seeing this bill actually go through shows me that you people do nothing but sit around all day and get nothing done for society. instead, you just impose your values upon us and try and regulate something that you have no control over in the first place. HOW RIDICULOUS!

you guys are completely wrong here. you can't impose your morals on the society! and on top of that, you're being hypocritical! you're only banning online poker? if you truly want to impose your old-age morals, at least be man enough to completely ban all forms of gambling in Washington, not just online poker. get your act together and focus on more important things such as poverty, school funding, cancer research, etc. stop wasting your time with online poker (which, believe me, is the least of your problems). seeing this bill actually go through shows me that you people do nothing but sit around all day and get nothing done for society. instead, you just impose your values upon us and try and regulate something that you have no control over in the first place. HOW RIDICULOUS!

and that's not felonius ?

once they find a way to TAX it, of that you can be sure

Someone just told me about the internet gambling ban... I didn't believe them. But sadly it's true, and no one seems to know how or why. I consider myself a tolerent person, and can forgive HUGE state level financal blunders & non-stop partisan drama because i love Washington! .... but this law scares me and seems like a direct violation of civil liberties. This law is wrong on so many levels. Can some one qualified PLEASE tell us how they will enforce / monitor this? Has anyone seen this on the news, or in the papers? What is the motive? ....to get people back in the casinos after they banned smoking? ....or did 44 Senate Members and a Governor not think this through? With the incredible popularity of Poker right now we need to let people know about this. It seems like news! If you feel compelled send a e-mail to your favorite news team, before Wa has the highest % of felons in the country.

I am not a resident of Washington state, but when I read an article about this new law I thought it was a joke...apparently the only joke are the people voting on these ridiculous bills. How can you possibly justify this? I am sure there are state-sponsored lotteries, indian casinos in WA. Why only target internet gaming? Who makes these decisions? When will politians focus on real issue, like poverty, education, health-care. You must be kidding me....thank god I will never have to visit your backwards crackpot state.

What is the driver for this bill? Are people getting hurt? Is this harmful to minors? Hurting salmon? Causing our farmers to lose money? What we choose to do with our discretionary income is our choice, not yours. Unless this is a thinly-veiled attempt to force us to visit our local casino, where the state gets a cut. Ridiculous. Repeal now!

the way they are stopping it is making all credit card companys and banks not be able to let us use there serices to deposit or withdraw from the poker sites.in the U.S.A.

If the State of Washington banned all forms of gambling, at least they would be consistent. This is just an attempt to protect their tax revenue with brute force. This is an incredibly foolish law, which will make thousands of their citizens felons and despite that, not accomplish anything.

Unfortunately it seems as if we are no longer able to take our own decisions concerning moral issues, they are now taken for us. I don't rseide in Washington, but the citizens there have my sympathies as they seem to be first in the firing line as America blindly starts to adopt the principles of communism. Since when did we vote in representatives to enforce their moral beliefs on us? Are they not voted in to represent the public who put them there? Prohibition doesn't work as history tells us. Regulation would have been a far better solution, with financial benefits for the state also. But power can be intoxicating, and they will sadly never see that they are wrong to take away citizens freedom to decide. The "land of the free" is slowly disappearing over the horizon. Trouble is, no-one who matters can even see it.

Well, my, my, might as well stop your griping about the Gambling bill! I tried to warn everybody before I-901 passed, that it would only be the beginning. The guy who got that going is moving on to Oregon! Watch out Oregonians! This state is filled with life-style politicians, and the only answer is to "GET THEM OUT!" IF we want ANY rights left!! Think about voting Libertarian, they still believe in the Constitution, and the rights of everyone. Or stand around and watch us all become puppets! It's the ONLY choice you have left!!!

On March 28, 2006, Washington State passed a ban on Internet Gambling. This law raises significant constitutional issues and threatens a Class C felony prosecution on citizens placing 25 cent bets at PartyPoker in their own homes. The law (RCW 9.46.240 and 1991 c 261 s 9) reads: “Whoever knowingly transmits or receives gambling information by telephone, telegraph, radio, semaphore, the internet (sic) a telecommunications transmission system, or similar means, or knowingly installs or maintains equipment for the transmission or receipt of gambling information shall be guilty of a class C felony subject to RCW 9A.20.021.” A class C felony is punishable by amounts up to $10,000 and/or confinement in a state correctional institution for five years. Class C felonies in Washington State, include bestiality; assault on a child in the third degree; custodial sexual misconduct in the first degree; third degree rape; four DUIs in seven years; second degree assault; sex and labor trafficking; unlawful taking of endangered fish and wildlife; robbery (1 count); animal fighting abuse or, most egregiously, going “all-in” in a PartyPoker $5+0.50 multiple table tournament. 60 months in jail seems more than appropriate for going “all-in” with less than a pair of jacks. In order to play with “play money” on PartyPoker, one needs to download and install a program that could be used for either “play money” or cash games. That is a clear violation of the new Washington law. The use of “Whoever knowingly transmits….gambling information.” refers to ISPs, cable companies, DSL providers and phone companies. In order to be “knowingly” a transmitter would have to set up privacy invasive screens that they are extremely reluctant to do---except, maybe to do business in Communist China.

I don't gamble, but I thought the state government was put into place so WE HAVE A VOICE, and can tell them what needs changing in the state. Not so the state can try to protect us. No wonder nothing gets done in this state.

I do not Gamble. I think I bought a lottery ticket once in my entire life. Why did you citizens of Washington vote this assinign piece of law into reality? This is more insane than the militant homos trying legislate their back door agenda into faces of mainstream America. Exactly how do you people plan on tracking and enforcing this? How are you going to fund all of the legal challenges you will be faced with concerning the obscure nature of where "physically" things actually happen during an internet transaction. I work in online banking I can confidently tell you, where the browser geographical location is irrelevant in most cases. It will be interesting to see how much money they will truly be saving by outlawing this. I mean I have to assume its about saving or making money, not about a moral issue. Unbelievable. People, if we dont start to take back this country, the Democrats and Republicans are going to destroy our sovereign nation. Start supporting a 3rd option. Vanight