[RadixLecti]

Anyone seen this? http://slashdot.org/index.pl?issue=20060531

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WA Law: 5 Years in Prison for Gambling Online



Posted by timothy on Wednesday May 31, @06:15PM
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.'""

[Diablo_Rojos]

Yep
I've written letters to my district reps and sentors, all with no replies.
I also wrote a letter to the governor also with no reply. The letters I sent basically questioned the law and questioned its enforcement.
Right now there is no money set aside to enforce this Law. It is impossible to enforce too. Gamble online at your own risk.

In a related note: If you win a free roll that has a payout. It may be considered a sweepstakes, not gambling, since you did not put any of your money at risk. With that you can build your bank roll since you are putting the house money at risk. (now I'm not a lawyer you should contact one to verify that)

[sbshaner]

This law is bull----! I should'nt have to play online poker in fear, what makes this so over the top is that class C felony! WTF WA, kinda like their new tourism slogan instead of "say WA?" it should be "say WTF WA!"

Here's a site where you can vote on this ------ law
http://www.kirotv.com/news/9325961/detail.html

Edited by VARoadstter: profanity

[dajebriza]

It would be one thing if they were making a moral stand against Gambling and outlawed all gambling in the state. At least that I could understand... even if I didn't agree with it. But gambling is legal in the state, just in the casinos, so this is purely a hypocritical piece of legislation based on lobbying from the casinos, buying politicians to pass legislation that unfairly favors their establishments and secures their monopoly. There must be some politican pockets lined with casino money for this to have come about. I sure hope someone gets called on the carpet for this.

[Majination]

It just got worse... this action is WAY beyond the line.

http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?s...14219&from=rss


WA Law Means Linking to Gambling Websites Illegal
Posted by Zonk on Friday June 16, @01:15PM
from the don't-click-the-bad-links dept.

tpoker writes "Following a previous story on Washington State making online gambling a felony, the Seattle Times reports that the first legal salvos have begun. '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. 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 ... Telling people how to gamble online, where to do it, giving a link to it -- that's all obviously enabling something that is illegal.'"

[mtvernonbryan]

I suddenly feel ashamed to live in WA. Why is my state so retarded?? We have 7billion casinos in WA. It just sucks for people like myself that have kids. You dont always have time to run to the casino to play poker. Its nice to sit down when the little one are napping to play a few sit-n-goes.

[Couga]

Originally Posted by mtvernonbryan

I suddenly feel ashamed to live in WA. Why is my state so retarded?? We have 7billion casinos in WA. It just sucks for people like myself that have kids. You dont always have time to run to the casino to play poker. Its nice to sit down when the little one are napping to play a few sit-n-goes.

I too am ashamed to live in Washington. Shame on Christine Gregoire for signing this into law, I am absolutely embarassed to have her as our Governor.

Couga

[shadesofgrey]

Originally Posted by Majination

It just got worse... this action is WAY beyond the line.

http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?s...14219&from=rss


WA Law Means Linking to Gambling Websites Illegal
Posted by Zonk on Friday June 16, @01:15PM
from the don't-click-the-bad-links dept.

tpoker writes "Following a previous story on Washington State making online gambling a felony, the Seattle Times reports that the first legal salvos have begun. '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. 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 ... Telling people how to gamble online, where to do it, giving a link to it -- that's all obviously enabling something that is illegal.'"

This is bound to be tested in court. I can't see how this can stand up. I mean, the public library has copies of the anarchist cookbook & last time I looked most of the things explained in there are illegal. How can they say that someone discussing online strategy is promoting illegal online gambling and therefore breaking the law.

If i write a book on growing dope, or whatever, the same is true.

this is truly sad! I live in OR, but travel to WA all the time - guess they will have to track me down

The fact that online horse betting is still legal just is hypocritical. This is tribal dollars funding special interest. From what I have read, WA is just the start, other states are looking into doing the same thing.

this is truly disgusting!

[tri-lam]

Originally Posted by mtvernonbryan

I suddenly feel ashamed to live in WA. Why is my state so retarded?? We have 7billion casinos in WA. It just sucks for people like myself that have kids. You dont always have time to run to the casino to play poker. Its nice to sit down when the little one are napping to play a few sit-n-goes.

Glad to be moving back to AZ in 6 weeks. Hmm, maybe I shouldn't have put "Spokane" on my chips.

[TheJacob]

Simply put..... ef Washington.
Good thing this didnt happen in a state where more than 3 people live...