Poker In The Rear

The recent law that makes internet gambling a Class C Felony in the state of Washington in fact isn't a recent law, the P-I tells us today.

Any form of gambling must meet specific state approval under a 1973 law that didn't foresee the advent of Internet poker.

"Internet gambling has always been illegal," explained Susan Arland, spokeswoman for the Washington Gambling Commission. "All gambling is illegal unless authorized. (The new law) updates the old law to remove any ambiguity."

For some reason this is the first time we're seeing it presented in that light, and if it's true you have to think that it will eventually have the opposite affect and the law will be changed. By calling attention to the illegality of online gambling don't you also call attention to the fact that online gambling shouldn't be illegal? Perhaps it would have made more sense to leave the law ambiguous and continue non-enforcement than to push the issue and make a few online poker players into felons for no reason, but we understand that the established meat-space casinos in Washington felt the need to protect their monopoly.

Those casinos should be scared. Just like the music industry and Hollywood they took forever to react to the internet and then finally moved with lawyers instead of developers. Sucks for them. Card players are going to continue to play at virtual casinos based on tropical nations or Sealand or wherever, though, and we feel bad for the handful of them who are going to do time before the state legislature comes to its senses on this.

In Washington, other than a handful of cease-and-desist orders issued to billboard and radio advertisers that promote illegal gambling sites, the state has not busted a single person for illegal Internet gambling.

"Our enforcement does not focus on individuals," Arland said. "We respond to complaints."

Yeah, that's the policy now. The law's there for any anti-gambling crusader who happens into a position of power to start applying at will, though.

What band of pajama gamblers are going to organize and oppose the legislation, though? Or what online casinos are going to contribute money to its reversal?