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You Still Go To Prison

Those hoping to play internet poker and gamble at the online casinos from their home in Washington State still have a bit more of a wait before the Washington State courts strike-down the current draconian online gambling laws. Lee Rousso, a Seattle-based lawyer and representative for the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) lost a second court battle late last week when the courts ruled that he did not present enough legal standing to actually alter the punishment for internet gambling in the state. Right now Washington State has the harshest online casino gambling policy in the United States – a Class C Felony offense for players caught gambling through the internet.

Rousso had the backing of the PPA (one million members strong at this point) and other professional poker players, Washington residents, and more when he went into the courts hoping to invalidate the current law. The judge though in the case noted that Rousso did not have enough proof, information, etc. to actually strike down the anti-online casino gambling law.

What sticks in the craw of so many online casino and poker gamblers is the fact that Washington State is one of the most pro gambling states in the U.S. Washington State allows extensive land casino gambling at the reservations and enjoys a healthy percentage of the revenues from land gambling through a strict taxing structure. The fact is, Washington State has not institute the anti-online gambling law because of concerns for the safety of internet gamblers, but instead as a way to preserve the lion’s share of the state’s gambling revenue (internet casinos cannot be taxed because they operate offshore of the U.S.).

Rousso though has not given up hope on the issue and asserted that he plans to see the case all the way through to the U.S. Supreme Courts. The law equates online gambling with child molestation, child pornography, and other such offenses, punishing citizens with prison time and heavy fines. Rousso, the PPA and others assert that this law is far beyond appropriate punishment from the crime.