Washington Votes Forum

Under Washington Law, almost all fantasy football gamers domiciled in the state are felons. Structuring a game to avoid the "any risk" character of Washington Law would be difficult. Interestingly, the proposed federal HR4411 anti Internet gambling law has a specific carve-out for fantasy sports advocates. That federal act faces a shortening-pre-election season and uncertain Senate action, after several years of similar House-yea, Senate-inaction voting patterns. The federal law has teeth, but threatens American rights. The Washington State law is insane, unenforeceable and demonstrative of corrupted state officials and jack-booted beaucrats like Commi. Day (abbreviation for Commissioner).

What if I'm a washington resident but I only play when i'm out of state? And say when I win, I'll cash-out out of state. Is that still considered illegal?

I can wrap my mind around the motivations for this bill, both good and bad ones (protecting people from offshore criminals vs. tribal casino special interests, for example), but ultimately what gets me down is the fact that I love to play poker, and I love to play it for money, but I don't have a whole lot of money (I'm a poor, poor college student). I've never gambled online, but the only place I've seen ridiculously low-stake games (thus ones I am comfortable buying into) is on the internet. Granted, it seems unlikely that the state will prosecute individual gamblers, but I balk at committing a felony, period. So now I'm basically screwed into throwing down 100 bucks at the local cardroom, or playing all-too-infrequently with the same group of friends in games that are still too high-stakes for my taste. All I want to do is throw nickels and dimes around playing some Holdem, but I can't do that anywhere but online. This sucks...

Maybe a couple years in a state prison being passed around by the older inmates would teach you something about the law. You are a despicable felon and Commi. Day is just waiting to subpoena some ISP and prosecute a few test cases.

Vanight, i could not agree with you more. I voted Libertarian in the last election, and until more people have the balls to vote 3rd party, we will continue to get the same lunacy with the Replicons and Demorats!! The taking away of our rights one by one makes me soooo mad i cannot see straight!!! We as citizens are being screwed, ripped off, and sold out by these crooks who think they know what is best for us.

Every day a little bit of our rights get voted away by people who do not care about you and I. They care about money and power as long as it comes to them. This country is going down the crapper!!! You should be able to move your own money around and spend it on whatever you want!! People can cause more harm by going to a bricks and mortar casino and getting drunk and driving home. This stuff makes me furious

Whatever party you pick just remember that it was the goons who are currently sitting in office on BOTH sides of the aisle who sold us ALL out in one or more of the major issues affecting the peoples rights and the sovereignty of this great state and nation. These traitors need the boot; the same boot they used on our rights. We, the voters are just the ones to give it to them. Send a clear message this November....NO INCUMBANTS!

Go to the Washington State Smokers Alliance page, sign up and sign the petition. I can not give the url on this site, but you can find it. Also, start another petition on the gambling bill..all us freedon-lovers need to stick together!! ALL rights are going down the tube!

In addition - talk to all of your legislators! Talk to all of the candidates as well. Convince them that SB 6613 needs fixing. Let them know that regulation is the answer, not banning the internet!

Everyone...check out Bruce Guthrie, a Libertarian running for the U.S.Senate. Time for a change!!!!!

Have you done more than just whine about it online? Have you contacted your representatives? Have you contacted all the candidates in your district? Have you called / emailed / snail mailed everyone you can to let them know how dumb SB 6613 is? The only way we are going to be able to get the idiotic SB 6613 changed is if we DO SOMETHING!!! "Voting against the incumbents" is *NOT* the enough. There are very few races that are close - most incumbants win by a large margin. People like Senator Prentice are going to win their elections no matter how many of us vote against them - we do not have enough numbers on our side. The only thing we have on our side is reason, logic, and justice - we have to use these to convince our lawmakers that SB 6613 was a mistake. That takes work from all of those here who are complaining. So get off your butts and start changing things!!!

Want to ban internet gambling? Then go right ahead, but don't be hypocritical about it. Ban ALL internet gambling - that includes eTrade, Ameritrade, betting on Wall Street, Dow Jones and commodities. Ban one, then ban them all.

a) With an attitude about voting like like yours, perhaps we should not vote at all. "BULL!!!" Incumbants require votes to stay in office. If enough people vote against them, that logic you tout dictates that they just might not get enough votes to stay in office. A defeatist attitude such as you seem to profess, is just what these incumbants depend on to stay in office. b) What makes you think we 'haven't' been doing other things. Many have written Prentice as well as many other politicians. A good read through this thread will clearly point that out to you. We have written and will continue however a look at the track records clearly indicate that our political representatives (laugh laugh) march to their own agendas, for their own good and that of their big money (read that lobbyists). They are bought and paid for and we the people matter not anymore. Our only hope at this point is to start over and if enough numbers of 'we the people' adopt that mindset, we can get rid of our incumbant 'help themselves' polititians. Why not help us promote the concept instead of knocking it. DRIP - Don't Re-elect incumbant polititians

At least there I can enjoy the hobby that I love most!!!

It is not defeatist to talk to your legislators. I have letters from both of my representatives that state on the record to the head of the house of representatives that they think their previous vote for SB 6613 was a mistake. How far will your 1 "vote against the incumbants" go? Do you really think that most of the posters here have done work to reverse SB 6613? I am urging them *all* to do so. And if your legislator doesn't reverse their position, please don't vote for them. You want to vote against all the incumbants - GREAT! Just recognize that right now, that is probably not enough to change the situation - people need to do more. You think Maria Prentice is going to lose here next election because she promoted this idiotic law? I don't think so. That is why we need to do more. Summary: Vote against any incumbant who still supports SB 6613. Vote against anyone who is not working to repeal it. But do more than that - educate the legislators about the situation and do work to get our point of view across!

We work hard for our money, and no one should tell us how to spend our money. The hell with all of you for voting on this. Some people make a living on on-line gambeling. Just because most companies who host these websites are outside the US,and because of it there making a killing of us,too bad. Since the war started our dollar has dropped, and now we have to pay for it, this is very sad news knowing where our country is headed regarding our dollar value. "No more guys, we can't give other countries our money, you should cycle the money back, within our fine country of ours" Up yours, Senate Hameed Manji P.S Mr. President Get out of the Middle East, do you see a militrary army to fight VS, No! you don't. You just can't seem to get over 9/11 and you need therapy for this, umm those guys are dead, remember they flew the planes, unless they lived and went back home!!! And now your fighting against citizens who just want to defend their nation against you! Maybe if you pulled out just maybe our dollar will rise, like it was before you were president. And maybe we can gambel again on-line. What's it going to be like knowing your going to be an x-president! HAHAHAH.

Anybody got a pair of dice? How bout a poker paradice. i will see you all in the federal pen. I f they let us keep our money, we can have one hell of a game, day after day. We'll see then who are the best players. The winners, however, must pay off the guards for our women and entertainers. Perhaps we could invite Martha Stewart to decorate our pen.Maybe we could get fast Eddie Edwards to get in our game. He doesn't mind accumulating gambling debts i tell ya.When I get out of the pen all reformed and all, I would then become an internet gambling enforcer. I can see myself calling the cops in to bust dem calling stations. Those guys are the one's I would go for first.

Does this law make online first person shooter tournements illegal

For starters, try reading what was actually written! Please try spending at least as much time reading the post as you do in configuring your retort. It was never said that writing your representative(s) was defeatist. What *was* said is that your attitude on VOTING was defeatist. As to how far my one single, little itty bitty, teensy weensy vote will go…the answer is: not very far by itself. But does that mean I may as well not cast it? That casting my one lone vote is a waste? THAT is what is defeatist and that is why I was and am prompting and promoting *all* voters to cast votes for non-incumbents. (again…READ the post first) Writing to representatives is a very good way to get your point across however; let’s be clear on what point we are making when writing. Polls of politicians indicate clearly that the majority of them have made up their minds on how they feel about bills, proposals, and initiatives and are rarely swayed by input from constituent writer’s insights, views and arguments no matter how justified or logical they may in relation to the ‘content’ of a bill, proposal, or initiative. Unless the promise of a vote or non-vote is implied or expressed, the opinion of the constituent is merely fodder. Indeed, most politicians readily admit that what does sway them is the granting or denial of support (in the form of VOTES), either implied or expressed by the writer in the letter. That is why a vast majority of writers clearly indicate in their letters what the result of the politicians’ stance or vote will be. Summary: Write to any and all incumbents who still support SB 6613. Write to any and all legislators who consistently betray our trust and our wishes on any issue but in your writing clearly convey the promise of either a yes vote or a no vote based on what that representative does and then follow through with that vote. What ever you write be aware that it is the VOTE that is the bottom line; the line that strikes fear in every politicians’ heart. The fact is: If Maria Prentice does not get enough votes and her opponent does, she will indeed lose this next election whether she promoted this idiocy or not and whether you think so or not. DRIP - Don't Re-elect incumbent politicians

I have been a republican my whole life and I am so disappointed in the GOP, that I help put into office, the past few years that you leave me no choice but to start to vote for democrats. You want to fix something? Then fix the fact that our country is drowning in credit card debt and national debt. How come a kid can graduate H.S. and College in most cases with no understanding of how interest works, yet it is the whole foundation of our society. Stop wasting my money on stupid stuff like this. I guarantee I know how to spend my money better than you do. Once you make playing 10 cent poker on line illegal I suppose I can surf for Porn or do a lot worse things than sit here and entertain myself while I watch TV>. OUR GOVERMENT IS STICKING THEIR NOSES WHERE IT DOESNT BELONG. PLEASE TAX ME 10 CENT GAMBLING HABIT SO I CAN GET SOME ENJOYMENT WHILE I AM WATCHING EVERY CANDIDATE BASH THEIR OPPONET. gET OVER IT AND LET AMERICANS HAVE SOME FREEDOM.

The State only has jurisdiction over internet gambling sites operating within its borders. Most poker sites are located outside the country, so it will not be possible for Washington to require these sites to verify a customer's location. The State could attempt to force any ISP that operates in the state to block gambling sites, but that would have constitutional free speech problems. There may be some way to impose some sort to check between your computer and the poker site, but it is unlickely that the site will help facilitate that check. Especially, since it is in their intersts to keep customers form Washington palying.

Right on dude (or dudess)! We the people have clearly lost control of our representatives. They no longer fear us or represent us. Just look at the ridiculous and scandalous travisties of justice we have had to stomach in the past years: Laws to regulate, restrict, and control the population and the freedoms we once enjoyed; They openly steal from our Social Security fund...OUR fund, and then say "Oh well"; Tax increases until well over 22% (and in many cases-much more)of our earned income "disappears" into government coffers and then they have the gall to ask for more; The government is meddling more and more into affairs they have no business or authority interferring in. They make laws that fly in the face of our constitution (like THIS one)and the moroms are so confident that we the people are helpless that they blatantly and openly defy the law of the land, use the courts to legislate and then laugh all the way to the polls knowing that because they are an incumbant, that they have the advantage of likely staying in office because many sheeple just blindly vote for the name they know most NOT what the name stands for or worse, because just like the previous post says: How far will your "One" vote go...people just give up and don't vote at all. We are no longer citizens...we are SUBJECTS! Keep up your crusade. We need to take back our government NOW...before it is too late. D.R.I.P. D.R.I.P. D.R.I.P. !!!

I dont agree with this bill at all. I feel the government is stepping into our homes and now telling us what we can and can not do with our money that we work for and already pay taxes on. To me there is nothing wrong with online poker. And as far as them saying you don't know if the site is legal, or if its paying for corupution etc, these sites are out of the USA for one and what ever happened to living in the USA freedom country etc. How can it be freedom when what ever we try to do like on line gambling they come in and take it away. But all the illegal immigrants can come into this country, get a job and live and then become citzens and the government pays for them to buy up businesses or start a business. What happened to our freedom? All it is about is that there are no taxes paid on the winnings (little if at all) that we would win. People who are retired and love to play cards , this is perfect, buttttt, our great government says noooooooo, WHY,,,,because no taxes are paid. You can bet on horses because taxes are paid out on what you win over i believe 500.00 ,,,then they say about the addicts, well they are going to buy lottery tickets or play horses which both are taxed. So to me this is all about TAXES NOT BEING PAID and thats the bottom line. All our government wants is for the citizens of the USA to work and pay taxes and don't spend anything on enjoyment in our own HOMES.

Washington State makes any game involving RISK in which a prize is awarded and a entrance fee paid "gambling." If its at a card room, indian casino, 7-11 convenience store (lottery) it is okay, but it is a Class 2 felony over the Internet, except of course, horse racing.

It's ok to smoke and kill others since it's taxed. I've never been political until now. I'm going to become aggresively anti-republican. The rest of the world can enjoy a friendly game of poker but not the citizens of the so called greatest democracy. It's a total invasion of my privacy!!

In case you haven't noticed, the State of Washington is run by the Democrats, the queen of whom signed this piece of garbage legislation. Anti-democrat might give you more mileage as well as more of your tax money back.

The definition of gambling is: "a : to play a game for money or property b : to bet on an uncertain outcome" I don't know about you, but last time I checked, no matter how much skill you have in poker, it's still uncertain as to who the winner is until you turn your hole cards over. Even more so before all 5 cards are on the board, if we're talking about Texas Hold'em. Keep telling yourself that poker is based purley on skill, and you're setting yourself up for a lot of disappointment. As long as there's a percentage chance that you can lose a hand, it's gambling. I suppose if you flop a Royal Flush everytime, you could be pretty certain about the outcome. Cheers.

Due to current ban of internet betting/gaming: 1.Wake UP USA 2.Get rid off credit cards immidiattly due to they listen dictatorilship USA goverment 3.Vote all republicans out(if possibble vote for 3-rd party) 4.All republicans and democrats immidiattly need to be panished up 1000000 years immprision who voted against the most USA peoples wills especially for internet gaming ban even most of them don`t know what the internet is Hinaf with criminals running USA country! Or USA people,overthrow them using force, Or divide USA in many pieces in many indepedient countries and states with own laws! We do not need federal goverment involved at all inside our private life!

Anti-Republican??? In case you haven't noticed, the State of Washington is run by the Democrats, the queen of whom signed this piece of garbage legislation. Anti-democrat might give you more mileage as well as more of your tax money back.

You are absolutely correct in your comments. They could regulate and get a little but if they can't do that then you aren't allowed to do it. None of the other countries treat their citizens in this deplorable childish way. The rest of the countries citizens are still playing on Party Poker. And I already paid taxes to the government on the money I spent on Party Poker. No wonder every body hates us around the world. And I think of the hypocrits in Congress telling me what I should do. Shame Shame Shame. I am voting all democrat next time. They can't trust MY VOTE from now on.

In the first place, this is NOT a democracy, it is supposed to be a Republic! AND..this country is supposed to be run for "We the people". If any of you out there want it to get back to what it's supposed to be, you better be thinking very seriously about how you vote. Since all legislators only think about themselves, the least you can do is vote against EVERY incumbant!! This at least would bring about some change, not enough, but SOME. AND, vote for every independent you can find! The 2-party system is not helping us get our rights back!! Remember.."If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything".

Prior reply had so many errors that a reform of our education system would be in order.

Wow...guess them tribes can reach all the way to DC eh? Since you blamed Prentice for caving in to them, guess you are saying the same about W? At least now you have the rest of the nation to whine with you...

Before you go wasting your vote on Democrats, in case you didn't notice all five of the dimwit sponsors for this piece of crap legislation were Democrats: Senators Prentice, Keiser, Kline, Rasmussen, and Shin are all Dumbos... er...Demos! The queen who signed it was also a Democrat. Are you SURE you want to cast your lot for more of THEM? Remember...D.R.I.P (Don't Reelect Incumbant Politicians)

Will the last citizen to leave the Republic please turn off the lights? Thanks.

RESTORE the Republic NOT Leave it. D.R.I.P.

Bruce Guthrie did a wonderful job during the debate, consider voting for him, and get your rights back! Voting Anti- Republican is idiotic, and for ANY incumbants!!

thing to remember and happening. online gamble not good for kids. it's for sure. more kid on street it's more worse for neighborhood and future events. This way it's wrong doing to punish adult and prvent kid of playing. there alot fake ID in live game at casino now. Law it's Law but. all about 8hrs job....... LIVE CASINO SHOULD BE BANNED TOO.ONLY IN INDIAN RESERVATION ALLOW. NOT IN NEARBY CITY. far away will help kids no longer think and never care about future. thank you.

and the british may not come, so put out the lanterns!!

Where does this state get off making playing a game online with my own money a fellony and grouping it in the same catagory as a child molestor. Every representative that voted for this bill should be ashamed of themselves. I fight for this country and you take the fredoms I fight for and throw them away.