Online poker is strictly illegal in the state of Washington but that could all change if a new bill that has now been introduced is passed in to law. As surprisingly as it may seem, online poker could easily become a reality within the state if House Bill 1114 is legalized. Representative Sherry Appleton introduced the legislation that would place the state within the iGaming industry of the United States.
House Bill 1114 was introduced by Appleton last week and is quite surprising considering the strict gaming laws within Washington. Currently, Washington only allows tribal casinos and card rooms to offer poker gaming and online poker is a big no-no. With the new legislation, poker would be authorized for real money online game play only.
According to CardPlayer, the language of the bill reads that the legislature finds that the Internet is an integral tool that is used by Washingtonians every day. The Internet is involved in commerce, communication and entertainment so as poker is an authorized activity within the state, it is only natural to consider the game could be conducted in a ‘virtual environment’ and played by those in the state with a computer or mobile device.
The bill continued to state the despite the lack of regulation due to the prohibition of online poker, players continue to enjoy the game. To protect those in the state and to maintain the oversight of the systems that are used to carry out online poker, a framework must be established for the regulation of online poker gaming within the state.
Those who would be able to provide online poker gaming within the state would be entities that are authorized by the State Gambling Commission or tribal regulator. Along with standard information, the new bill also covers shared player pools. In the new bill, it states the governor can enter into multistate agreements that will allow for shared player liquidity over common platforms.
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