Superior Court Judge Mary Roberts of King County in Washington state, dealt a huge blow to online poker fans yesterday. Roberts upheld a 2006 law passed in Washington State, that made playing Internet poker a felony. Roberts announced her decision as nearly 70-80 poker supporters outside the Justice center exuded their disbelief.

1. Poker Rooms Washington State
2. Washington State Online Poker Sites
3. Washington State Online Poker Sites
4. Online Poker Washington State
5. Washington State Online Poker Bill 2019

• Washington is one of the few US states that has banned online poker WA websites outright. Under a new amendment made in 2006, it became a Class C felony to gamble online within state borders. In 2010, many US sites stopped taking real-money poker deposits from players in the Evergreen State.
• While Washington has embraced many forms of gambling, online gaming is not one of them. In fact, in 2006 they passed a law that made it a Class C felony to play poker online. It was challenged in.

Washington State is a mixed bag for poker players. Online poker is a felony, but it’s perfectly fine to play live in casinos, home games and leagues, so long as the state’s guidelines are being followed. More details can be found below.

“We are not criminals. We’re not people off in the hinterland. We really are average citizens,” said Drew Lesofski, the Washington, D.C.-based director of Poker Players Alliance. His group, which claims a million members nationwide, organized the rally. “This censorship can’t be tolerated,” he said.

Lee Rousso, an attorney fighting for Internet poker player rights, argued that this law violated a US Constitutional commerce clause and is cruel and unusual punishment. Rousso continued to ascertain that this law was a protectionist measure by the state that discriminates against legal, out of state companies, who would like to do business in Washington. The law forces gamblers in the state to frequent their local casinos and to spend money in the state as opposed to online.

Bill Sponsor

Not surprisingly, the original bill was sponsored by Senator Margarita Prentice, who’s district has a number of casinos and land based poker rooms that capitalize from the law. A similar type of practice is happening throughout Europe, where countries are trying to ban online gambling so that citizens spend money in their state operated card rooms and casinos. The Netherlands is one such country trying to crack down on Internet gambling, but is facing fierce resistance from the European Union (EU). The EU is giving countries like The Netherlands and Greece a final warning before bringing them to court.

The same thing cannot be said here as the US government shows no signs of stepping in to repeal this decision. Currently, there is no explicit federal law against playing Internet poker. Some argue that the 1961 Wire Act, which essentially made betting and making wagers on sports over a wire communication facility a crime, does not explicitly refer to Internet poker.

Punishment for Internet Gambling in Washington State

Since the law was enacted in 2006, no Internet poker player has been charged. A representative from the Washington State Gambling Commission stated that players do fall under the law, but their primary focus has been on operators of Internet gambling sites. Again, this law makes it a Class C felony, for a person caught playing poker online in the state of Washington, a crime on the same level as child molestation.

Internet Poker Player Reactions

“I don’t know why the government would want to put me in jail, because I want to relax and play poker a couple of hours a night in the privacy of my home,” said Linda McCabe.

For many Internet poker players, they want to see big brother stay out of their lives. They see it as a hypocrisy that the government can outlaw an average citizen from playing Internet poker, but still allow their citizens to purchase lottery tickets from them online. This is a serious issue not only for Internet gamblers but for individuals rights in the United States. It should be interesting to see if other states follow suit.

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In some ways, the Evergreen State has a progressive stance on real money gambling. Washington has agreements with nearly 30 tribes for legal Class III casino gaming. The state derives quite a bit of income from approved card room activities too. Currently, 60 operations are in full swing 24/7.

Poker Rooms Washington State

There are many opportunities to gamble online in Washington State, too. All you need is an account with at least one of the best Washington gambling sites.

Washington is showing signs of softening its position on virtual gambling. Advance-deposit wagering (ADW) is pari-mutuel action sanctioned by the state, even though the service is exclusively online.

Sports betting was approved in 2020 and will include an on-site mobile option. Additionally, Muckleshoot Casino has a unique gambling app that allows its players to participate on the go or from home. The app focuses on games not played against the house, like bingo.

However, most of the top Washington online gambling sites are from jurisdictions outside the state. The state largely maintains an anti-online gambling position to in an effort to keep money directed toward the brick and mortar casinos in the state.

There are two types of real money gambling sites in Washington State. The first is what we call an “all-in-one” gambling site.

All-in-one gambling sites offer more than one product. For example, an all-in-one gambling site might offer sports betting and casino games, or it might offer all that plus a poker room.

There are a few benefits to joining this type of gambling site.

• You only need one account to bet on sports, play casino games, and play online poker.
• It’s much easier to keep track of your bankroll since it’s not split up between several gambling accounts.
• You’ll have more promotions, such as deposit bonuses, free bets, and rebates, to choose from.

What we especially like about all-in-one gambling sites, especially for beginners, is that you can get a good idea of the games you can play and bet on with only one account and minimal risk.

This is even truer if you join one of the sites we recommend on this page, which are the best all-in-one gambling sites for Washingtonians.

The other type of gambling site is product focused, which means that it’s either a casino, sportsbook, or poker room.

You’ll want to join one of these Washington online gambling sites if you’re heavily into casino games, betting, or poker, and don’t care much about the other options.

We’ve written guides for online casinos, betting, and poker in Washington State too, as well as made recommendations for the best sites that you can join in each category.

In some ways, the best real money gambling sites in WA are a well-kept secret. Operators aren’t buying airtime for TV commercials or placing ads through local media outlets. You can pull up a list of Washington casinos or card rooms, but it doesn’t include their virtual competitors. That’s because, aside from a few exceptions, the Evergreen State hasn’t embraced online betting.

When you’re on the hunt for a safe, secure, and fair gambling website that lets Washington players use their service, it could take longer than a simple internet search. We wouldn’t recommend diving in and setting up a betting account on the first site you find, even if it does say that they service Washington customers.

What do you do then, especially if you’ve never gambled online in Washington before?

Our suggestion would be to familiarize yourself with what you should be looking for in a reputable gambling site and take advantage of quality recommendations.

It’s one thing to take a peek at a list of suggested providers, but it’s another to know why they’re considered the best WA online gambling sites.

You may come across some websites that accept players from your state, but that’s not enough in our book. When you’re wagering real money, you need assurance that the games are fair and that you’ll get your winnings when the time is right.

That’s just part of the picture, too. There are quite a few moving parts to a gambling website, so we research and compile data on everything and use the findings in our overall ratings.

We have an article that gives you an in-depth look at our ranking process. But the following are some of the items on our checklist that we address whenever we prepare our rankings of the top Washington gambling sites.

Washington State Online Poker Sites

• General gambling options (casino, live casino, racebook, sportsbook, poker room)
• Variety of banking methods
• Fees associated with withdrawals or, in some cases, with deposits
• Payout turnaround times
• Customer service access
• Transparent and understandable terms and conditions
• Website design and navigation
• Mobile access
• Reputation and reliability

We go over every site from head to toe. We also provide full details of each site in our gambling site reviews.

This is why you can rest assured that, when you join one of our recommended sites for real money online gambling in Washington, you’re joining one of the best.

Brief History of Gambling in Washington

The early days of legal gambling in the Evergreen State are similar to other US states. Pari-mutuel betting kicked things off in 1933, followed by a lull for decades.

Phase two of gambling expansion came out in the 1970s, with bingo and raffles used as charity fundraisers. The ‘70s also ushered in Washington’s Gambling Act, which legalized card rooms. These mini casinos have been going strong since 1973 and contribute quite a bit to the state’s revenue.

Washington’s lottery came up next in the 1980s, at the same time as approved off-track betting (OTBs). But the real surge in land-based betting started in the 1990s when tribal casinos signed compacts, giving them the go-ahead for Vegas-style casinos.

There are 30 casinos spread out throughout the state, with table games, high-stakes bingo, and VLTs (video lottery terminals), instead of traditional slots.

The state does everything it can to protect itself and keep the money flowing in their direction. And that’s why online gambling is positioned as the enemy in the Evergreen State.

While Washington’s legal position has typically been to declare all online gambling off-limits, that’s not necessarily the case across the board. Approved advance-deposit wagering (ADW) provides online pari-mutuel betting.

Muckleshoot Casino even found a loophole in the system with its dedicated app for bingo and other non-house gaming. Players buy their bingo games at the casino and have to return to collect any winnings they accumulate. But, as far as playing, they can grab their smartphones and root on B-14 from the comfort of home whenever they want.

Legal sports betting is new as of 2020, and it includes mobile access with a caveat, like the Muckleshoot app.

Washington State Online Poker Sites

Casinos have the option of a mobile book, but it’s micro-geolocated, meaning it only works in the confines of the venue. You could go to a coffee shop and place your slips, or multi-task from a blackjack table. But once you leave the premises, all bets are off, as it’s not a fully-functional online service.

Everything else is deemed unlawful in Washington State. That doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities. But because they’re not sanctioned, it’s a “play at your own risk” situation. If you decide to move forward and give it a go, we highly suggest that you join one of the more reputable real money gambling sites in Washington State.

Gambling online in Washington isn’t prevalent, but it’s not entirely off-limits either.

There are three types of Washington online gambling opportunities you have to choose from.

Only one type of online gambling site is legal and regulated in the state of Washington, and that’s ADW or advance-deposit wagering.

Pari-mutuel betting was the first on the books in the Evergreen State, and it has longevity. The activity evolved from in-person to include OTBs and ADW. There are a few options for ADW sites, and they’ve all been vetted by the state.

Online Poker Washington State

The next grouping is virtual betting with a twist. In this category, you’ve got the Muckleshoot Casino app with at-home bingo games. While it’s a mobile service, the financial end of things is handled in-person.

This type of service will also extend to mobile sportsbooks when they launch. Mobile books are part of the new sports betting legislation.

However, all of the activities take place within the confines of the casino. So, they don’t have as much benefit as other online sportsbooks, but you also don’t have to go to a betting window if you’re busy at a table game or having dinner.

Available but not “officially” approved is the third category, and it encompasses the most activity. These websites are ones that originate from other jurisdictions but have extended an invitation to Washington-based players. They’re not legal within state lines, but punters still take advantage of the service.

These sites cover online casinos, sportsbooks, and poker rooms. We’ve made some suggestions regarding the best gambling sites for Washington. But again, you have to decide what’s best for you.

Summary of Gambling Online in Washington

Not all forms of real money online gambling in Washington are permitted, yet the state has approved advance-deposit wagering websites. There is also a bingo app, and the newly approved sports betting package includes a geo-located mobile option.

It appears that the stance on Washington online gambling may be shifting ever-so-slightly. Until any official announcement, though, residents can still walk into a tribal casino, head to a card room or OTB, play some bingo, and buy lottery tickets.

Washington State Online Poker Bill 2019

A small number of online gambling sites allow residents from WA, too. So long as you stick with the best Washington gambling sites that we recommend, you’re safe to play and bet on your favorite games.