Washington State Online Gamblers Fold :

June 7, 2006 was a sad day for Washington State online gamblers. It was the date a state law came into effect that makes online gambling a Class C felony, which puts the offense at the same level as torturing an animal, threatening the governor and possessing child pornography.

The state Gambling Commission stated that it won't be targeting individual online gamblers yet once an individual is caught and charged, he could be liable for a $10,000 or jail time of up to five years. It's a stiff penalty for a crime where no one got hurt.

The law passed through the Legislature without any fanfare. But once word spread, online gamblers are not pleased with it. They don't know why it is legal to play poker in old fashioned brick and mortar card rooms but it would be a crime if it is played online.

Some folks consider going out of state to enjoy their past time while still play in the state as some sort of protest and are not afraid to be caught by the authorities. They say that the law on online gaming is unwarranted and should not have been enacted.

There's no available number of Washington state residents that enjoy online gaming but it is perceived to be popular because of the televised poker tournaments such as the World Series of Poker events and other multi-million dollar events.

In 2005 alone, online poker sites have estimated revenue in the range of $1.5 billion to $2.6 billion in the United States alone. This number is according to various gaming publications. How much of that number pertains to the Washington State could not be answered.

The United States Justice Department states that online gaming is not allowed by several federal laws. One of the laws which are frequently mentioned with regards to online gambling is the Federal Wire Act. This act is the favorite of anti-online gambling advocates.

Because of this, most of the popular gaming web sites operate outside the United States and are not regulated by the United States or state governments. This is why the government can't touch these companies.

The Washington State Law that upgrades online gaming from a misdemeanor to a felony offense was meant to be compatible with existing federal regulations. State lawmakers stressed that they didn't mean to be harsh but it is just in accordance to federal laws.

Although the law pertains to all online gambling, there is an exception. Betting on horse racing has been allowed but only on approved web sites by the Washington Horse Racing Commission. As to why horse racing was given the go signal while skill games such as online poker is banned is beyond logic to some online gaming fans.

Gambling Commission Director Rick Day has stated that the law is meant to protect the gamblers from themselves. That is why he sponsored the said legislation. He thinks that it is a way to curb the obsessive gambling of some Washington residents.

The director also stated that online poker games could lure in organized crime and use it to launder their money. It could also be used by dishonest players to gang up on unsuspecting users. Then there are cases that online gambling operators refuse to pay up and the gamblers have little recourse when that happens.

Then there's the issue of habit forming and its easy access to minors. Although there are ways to prevent this such as better parenting and stringent age verification methods, the lawmakers took it upon themselves to ban online gaming as a whole so as not to a menace to society.

The director stressed that it is not the intent of the law to give agents the incentive to track the violators and put them in jail. It is not the focus of their job to go away small time online gamblers. That should cause a sigh of relief from online gamblers across state who continues on playing despite the law.

It has been confirmed that before the law was enacted, state agents have gone into homes of online gamblers and warned them that they are engaged in an illegal activity and should cease from what they're doing. No one was arrested during this period.

According to gambling publications, no one has been persecuted for online gambling whether in the State of Washington or the rest of the United States. This is because the laws against online gaming are not enough and unless there are new laws, every online gambler is safe.

It is the priority of the Washington Gambling Commission to go after national and international operators that are based in the state. They are also warning about the risk online gaming can bring and that online gamblers should refrain from engaging in it.

The state anti-online gambling law has the backing of the Washington State Attorney General's office and the Gambling Commission. Tribal casinos and those from the card room industry were not involved although they greatly benefit the banning of online gaming.