More legal issues -- looks like I'm about to be a felon

[2Tone]

There has been surprisingly little coverage of this in the local media, but Washington State has passed a bill making playing poker online a felony.





It won't be be enough for me to do something as radical as, say, stop playing poker online, but I'm certainly not happy about it.

Lou and/or Reel, I hope I don't need to come asking for a defense attorney refferal.

My other option is to contact the various poker sites’ marketing departments. I’ll offer to get arrested so they can sponsor my defense and generate publicity as I become a cause celeb, all in exchange for a WSOP seat.

[studiopet]

How could this possibly be enforced?????????

[2Tone]

Certainly the chance of this being enforced on a kind of widespread basis is very unlikely. I’m not attorney, but I’d imagine it potentially could be used by prosecutors looking to add an additional felony to someone they already have on other charges.

Then again, there was a time that the RIAA suing music fans en mass would have been farfetched as well.

To know that I’m committing a felony a few times a week in my living room is disconcerting, even if the chance of ever being charged is slim.

[melioris]

dude, that is genious.

[jimmym]

I dont know , lately our goverments are taking us for mugs. Some washed up politician doesnt like something and backs a stupid bill there treating us like communists. Its all right for them to fuck-up and get away with it ,but then they try to fuck us up and make it Law.
Our local elections on the 5th and I really cant vote there all crap..

[PShabi]

It's "genius."

[melioris]

"I'm a teacher, I'll correct typos all day long"

[Talking Poker]

This is ridiculous, but it appears to be genuine. I can't belive it passed damn near unanimously. That firightens me.

IMO, I don't think it WILL be enforced, but it certainly COULD be inforced. Quite easily, in fact.

If online gambling is ever made illegal where I live, I'm telling you right now that I won't stop playing. If and when I get caught though, my defense is going to be that poker is not a game of chance, and therefore should not be included in said law (depending on the wording of the law, of course).

I think that would actually hold up in court too, honestly. I'm also willing to bet (online, even) that I won't be the first person to get busted and use this defense, which will effectively make poker an exception to the law. But if I was... so be it. I guarantee there are a number of poker sites with deep pockets who would love to help me out with my case.

[Aequitas58]

Poker is a game of chance, IMO.

[SirFWALGMan]

I would probably play too.. I mean we have all spent years doing one of the following illegal activities are one point or another: Downloading games, Downloading Music, Downloading Movies, Stealing Cable Service, etc, etc.. the list goes on and on.. Of course there is always Foxwoods..