Washington Votes Forum

I am glad your State decided to ban online gambling. I know of a housewife who ran up charge cards over $50,000 because of online gambling. The debt was paid off over a time period. Will she do it again? Next time her husband will not be paying the bills. I agreed a Class C felony is a bit strong for placing a 25 cent wager online. Your government's intent was good just too strong of a punishment in my opinion. But I may feel differently if my spouse/partner ran up a gambling bill that I had to pay off.

Maybe you should move to that lovely country.

Someone wrote: I am glad your State decided to ban online gambling. I know of a housewife who ran up charge cards over $50,000 because of online gambling. The debt was paid off over a time period. Will she do it again? Next time her husband will not be paying the bills. I agreed a Class C felony is a bit strong for placing a 25 cent wager online. Your government's intent was good just too strong of a punishment in my opinion. But I may feel differently if my spouse/partner ran up a gambling bill that I had to pay off. Do you really think that this will fix the problem? I think that regulation is what will actually fix this problem. Why do you think that addicted gamblers will 'obey the law'? Why do you think companies outside the US will 'obey the law'? What we need are good quality companies that respect US law and that will do their best to not allow addicted gamblers to play. That is what the major casinos in Las Vegas do - and that is what we need online gambling providers to do. "Banning the Internet" is not the answer. By the way, I can tell that same story for State sponsored lotteries, horse-racing, etc. Maybe we should ban all gambling! The hypocrites who make law in the state of Washington benefit greatly from lotteries, horse-racing, and brick-and-mortar casinos. We should make all gambling providers follow the *same* rules and regulations, not support and promote 1 kind of provider while making it a FELONY to use the other kind of provider.

Since when does ANY government have the right to tell me how or why or when I spend MY own money! If I chose to gamble online in the privacy of my own home with my hard earned money that should be MY privilege, MY business! I am beging to feel I am living in a FACIOUS state. What's next? I am beyond angry!

This is a clear infringment of individual's rights in favour of a powerful lobby. the state has no business regulating what people do in their own homes, or regulating their ability to engage in private interaction via the Internet.

I think it is sad that this Country has come to the point that we as individual are being legislated too as too how ot spend our money. The other interesting fact is that the main driving force behind this bill is supported by organizations that benefit by the exclusion or the passing of the bill for example Harrahs. If the US was so worried about controlling online gambling why do they not allow operators to get online gambling licesnes and control the acticity and make sure that is legit and is not being used to fund criminal enterprises. Ever since 911 that seems to be the goverments number one excuse. Are we to have all of our freedoms taken from us because of terrorism.I think its just political agenda and nothing more. The way things are going you could reasonably move to Russia and have more freedoms in a few years. Most of the european countries have legalized gambling controlled by the goverment. Maybe its time THe US took a look at how they are doing it. Just a furstrated citizen that is tired of having my little pleasures taken from me bu self rightous fat cats that are probably goign to Vegas to gamble several times a yesr

to the scum who states that online gambling should be banned well I won 1500 last night from a lousy 50 bucks.....so screw you....

10th District legislator introduces bill to provide an affirmative defense to the Class C Felony created by 2006 internet gambling bill by Chris Strow Press Release Jan. 23, 2007 In-home recreational internet gaming shouldn’t be a felony, says Strow 10th District legislator introduces bill to provide an affirmative defense to the Class C Felony created by 2006 internet gambling bill Rep. Chris Strow, R-Whidbey Island, today announced his legislation, House Bill 1243, to quash the felony charge language in last year’s legislation addressing in-home internet gambling. “My goal with this legislation is to correct an element from last year’s online gambling bill, Senate Bill 6613, that made it a Class C Felony to gamble recreationally in one’s own home if it is done online,” said Strow. “While I do see the need for protecting our citizens from online gaming that may be scamming innocent victims, I do think that there is also a level of accountability, as an adult, to do as he or she chooses in his or her own home,” said Strow. “Most certainly choosing to gamble, or play a game of skill such as poker, should not have been made a crime equivalent to possessing child pornography or threatening the Governor.” House Bill 1243 is currently awaiting a hearing in the House Commerce and Labor Committee. “While I have requested a hearing on the bill, people need to call and write the Chairman of the House Commerce and Labor Committee, Representative Steve Conway, and ask him to schedule a hearing for House Bill 1243,” said Strow. Rep. Conway can be reached at (360) 786-7906 or Conway.steve@leg.wa.gov. “There’s a certain point at which policy can be perceived as ‘nanny stateish.’ I think we reached that point with last year’s legislation and I’m aiming to make amends,” said Strow. Author Contact Info: Chris Strow

I've just read a number of the comments posted here and noticed that several people seem to believe that this disgusting intrusion into our private lives won't fly. Guess what...it's already airborn! The reason I came to this site in the first place was because one of my favorite online sites just posted a notice that Washington players will no longer be accepted! I cannot believe the audacity of these graft taking, worthless overpaid leeches! It seems impossible that the most corrupt people on the face of the earth could be dictating morality to private citizens! Please don't just scream to each other! Somone with the knowledge and capabilty needs to put together an automated email setup and post it on the web. Put every single one of these creeps email address into that list and allow us all to send them weekly reminders of who votes and who wants to see them out of politics! I'm sure it can be done and I wish I knew how. If something like this is done, please let me know. my email is lynnfallis@yahoo.com Next these idiots will be telling us where to take our vacations or what color to paint our bedrooms! Where does it end?

You are obviously not a skilled poker player! Everything in life is gambling to one extent or the other, but poker is a GREAT deal more about skill than chance! Get a life and get out of mine!

If it were about getting a cut, that could have been arranged. They could have passed a law to regulate and tax it instead. Don't get me wrong, I'm positive that it has nothing to do with anything legitimate or honorable, but somewhere in there, you missed. It probably is connected instead to the huge (contributions?) that were made by the indian gaming industry and other equally ludicrous graft deals. Did you notice for instance that online horse racing is exempted? They paid a very large sum for that privalege...very large!

How about "controled?" Why should some stupid politician decide what private citizens can or cannot do with their own money in the privacy of their own home? Sieg Heil!

Obviously you do not play poker online! People only tend to react to things that affect them personally. You bet I'm paranoid and I am ranting! These disgusting people have ABSOLUTELY NO BUSINESS IN MY PRIVATE LIFE! NONE! GET OUT OF IT!

Our rights are slowly being stripped away. I find this so sad. Here we fight for other countries freedom, while our own rights are disappearing. We have never had such a corrupt government and president EVER. I could have sworn the constitution began with We, the people.......not me the president or me the government. Please vote these corrupt and dangerous officals out of office.

I am ashamed of this government. Once again it has overstepped it's bounds and stuck it's nose where it doesn't belong. I don't need Big Brother watching me and telling me what I can and cannot do. I assume the govt. is banning online gambling because they haven't yet figured out a way to tax it. Keep it up.... the only thing left to tax is the dirty air we breathe.

Amen

Poker tournament at a local cardroom = legal. Poker tournament online = felony. What in the world???????? I can't believe we live in a state where those 2 facts are simultaneously true. SB 6613 needs to be repealed!!

HB1243 Go look at that bill and figure out how you can support it. From a player's point of view it takes away most of the negatives from SB 6613.

If you are going to illigalize internet gambling you better illegalize the stock market, a lot of poor suckers have lost a lot more money there. OOOOOppppps, I forgot, the right people are making money and losing money with the stock market.

Is it against the new law to participate the freeroll games offered on various sites? One is not gambling, but is playing and can win. This question needs to be answered.

We should be allowed to spend our money and gamble if we want. I think more time should be spent upon helping poor homeless, solving crime, etc.

Freerolls are OK, because you aren't wagering something of value. (You aren't wagering anything at all, frankly.)

HB2320 updates the laws on this bill, and makes recreational gambling ONLY a gross misdemeanor. Are they serious? After the gross overreaction to this particular bill that occurred last year, they choose to acknowledge their mistake by continuing to overreact? It makes me wonder if our legislators really think they made a mistake last year. In listening to Rep. Strow on TVW.org, he very briefly advocated for the rights of citizens to spend their money as they choose, and then very quickly rolled over in the interests of expediency. It is a shame that we not only need advocates to the legislature to tell them that we can use our money how we want, but even further, it's ridiculous that such a viewpoint has an opposing argument that seems to predominate through the Legislature! Do they really know not what they do?

waste of taxpayer resources. how dissapointing that we pay these people. my confidence in government is slowly eroding

This is for whoever that so called politician is who feels she has the power to tell me how I am able to spend my money. I didnt tell what lies to tell to get into office so she should not be trying to tell me how to spend the money I have to work very hard for every single day. Why not stop state lotteries or bingo parlors? Better yet, shut down Vegas, Atlantic City, and the Gulf coast casinos. Oh...I forgot. Can't do that then the politicians would not be able to gamble. Some of us like to gamble but don't have the luxury of living near a casino so we gamble online. How about I tell her how to spend our tax dollars that is paying her salary.

If you denounce America because you can't gamble online, it sounds like you have bigger problems than that. maybe it is time you leave this country, if you would infact like to trade online gambling for a life in a war torn Iraq.

I have a website. I am glad to hear people willing to get the message out to the people that are ignorant to the facts that our freedoms are are being taken from us systematiclly. I can put up the addresses for you lynn We need a revolution- we the people need to take back our Government before it is too late. This is yet just another example of the rapidly growing erosions of our freedom. Patroit act, hate crime legislations. I just read that smokers are being evicted from their apartments. Old women told quit smoking or get out. We are not in Iraq fighting for freedom, we are fighting for their oil.

I posted on another site something I want to share with this site. First I see no recent postings... shame, this needs to be kept in the public eye!! I read not too long ago, the large independent casinos are adopting the attitude, if you cant beat em, join em... which is what we in WAshinton State should be doing. Rather than ban and create a tax burden, turn the on line gaming into a source of tax revenue! We have spent far to many tax dollars on this insane law already. I would rather see those dollars feeding ungry or putting books and computers in schools! Next, what if I choose to declare my on line gambling as my religious right? I pray to my god about a problem, I ask for an answer to be delivered to me. I seek that answer with a wager.. if I win money then the answer is affirmative, if I loose money the answer is negative. Ohhhh yes, they are protecting us by prohibiting on line gaming.,.. I forgot... Well then start protecting those who are granted the right to take toxic poisons for religious enlightenment, or those who handle deadly snakees to show their faith in their God. What about those to toss the dice.. oppps I mean bones seeking divine guidance-how much further off is that then reading poker cards? So now the government is able to interfere with my choicexs in religious ceromony, and take away one of my basic constitutional rights..... ??? But someone who walks on red hot coals barefoot, is not in need of protection, where I am from viewing numbers on playing cards.... shesshhhh... Our founding fathers should rise from their graves and haunt these so called polititions that are.... IMPOSSING laws that can be direct violations of our civil rights! (Note, this screen wont let me read all of wht I am typing, so forgive typos etc...)

Nice try but it doesn't cut it. Gambling can be many things but religion isn't one of them. If you used that kind of logic any past time / obsession would qualify. For example: Smoking. Just because to worship at the alter doesn't mean God has anything to do with it. Your first arguement was better. If people want to be stupid and throw their money away on online gambling it's their business. Makes little difference if it's online or in a casino.

No one should be told why, where, or how to spend their money. Playing in person is legal. Playing from a remote location is illegal. Someone PLEASE try to prove to me that this makes sense.

So the rest of us have to stop doing something we love because she cant control her self! Mabey we outa outlaw motorcycles because some people cant seem to not ride whellies down the freeway at 100 miles an hour. Or better yet, lets outlaw ALL PERSONAL TRANSPORTATION, AND WE CANN ALL RIDE AROUND IN BUSSES IN PUBLIC TRANSIT, BECAUSE ONCE A MONTH I HEAR ABOUT SOME KID DYING IN A STREET RACE! Get real lady, it's not my fault that this broad spent 50k on gambling, SO WHY SHOULD I BE PUNISHED!

Dont penalize the entire country becuase your wife is a freak who can't controle her own impulsions, how about letting the impulsive woman who spent 50K on online gambling to do what she needs to do... get the hell out of society. If you are dumb enough to blow your entire savings on online gambling, you deserve to be broke. Let the responsible gamblers who enjoy the pass time to enjoy it and stop infringing on our rights because a small percentage of people cant keep thier dick in their pants. Why isnt alchol band for those who blow their savings to get drunk???? because it makes the powers at large money. Don't take away my weekly outing and ruin it because you are a lush.

just curious if anyone has been the victim of credit card fraud or identity theft after gambling online? Or perhaps been "stiffed" your winnings?

Credit cards can be used to get cash in Brick and Mortar casinos. So, making Online Gambling illegal is not going to stop somebody with a gambling problem from going bankrupt. All casinos have the advantage regardless of online or brick and mortar. Therefore, this law is nothing more than an act of the State to make illegal something they can not TAX. All other arguements are moot as the same problems can be encountered in Brick and Mortar casinos that are happening with Online casinos. Having said all of that first, let me add that I believe anyone who is stupid enough to wager their money in an online casino where computer programs determine the outcome deserve to eventually go broke just like 99.9% of slot machine junkies. But, it is not the State's business to tell me where I can and can not gamble any more than to tell me where I can and can not shop for clothes.

When you exchange money for shares of stock in a company you are gambling. You can still buy and sell stocks online. Explain to me the difference. You can say with 100% certaintee that a specific stock will make me money and not lose money? If so, I will hire you as my broker.

Hi! I'm John Strass and i like your site! Thank you!

Hi! I'm John Strass and i like your site! Thank you!

Hi! I'm John Strass and i like your site! Thank you!

Hi! I'm John Strass and i like your site! Thank you!

Hi! I'm John Strass and i like your site! Thank you!