Fight Over Online Poker Laws Heats up in U.S.
The fight to save online poker for players in the U.S. has not yet hit the river (to use a poker term), but it has definitely seen the flop (to use another). The debate goes from one end of the country to the other, from Washington, D.C. to Olympia, Washington.
Washington State Supreme Court
This time it was not a federal building in Washington, D.C. as it was a few weeks ago but the Supreme Court in Washington State. A State of Washington law makes playing poker or engaging in casino gambling online illegal.
The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), which was represented by Washington state director Lee Rousso, said that under terms of the federal Commerce Act that the law against online poker and other forms of gambling was illegal. He noted that the Commerce Act says that no state can “pass legislation that discriminates against (any) section of any industry.”
Rousso observed that playing poker and blackjack is legal in land-based casinos in Washington and thus it should also be legal at casino and online poker sites. Additionally, he noted the protectionist nature of the law as the banning of online poker and other forms of gambling benefitted land-based casinos in Washington State.
Impact of Campaign
The PPA, members of the U.S. Congress and various poker industry representatives, including prominent players, are all part of an ongoing campaign to ensure that U.S. players can continue to enjoy online poker. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which is a federal law, is set to go into full effect on Tuesday, June 1, 2010. Although many believe that eventually the UIGEA will be repealed, it could have at least a temporary effect on the ability of U.S. players to make deposits at their online poker rooms.