online poker money legality washington state

'In light of this decision, following extensive consultation with our legal advisors, we believe that the right course of action is to now block real money play by Washington residents on the site. In the days following the Supreme Court ruling, PokerStars issued a statement saying it would no longer allow residents of Washington to play in real money games: That one hour of online poker could be punishable by a lengthy jail term and $7.5 million in fines. To put things in perspective, an online professional playing 24 simultaneous tables (a common practice) will make a conservative estimate of 750 wagers in a given hour. The court upheld the amendment that made wagering on online poker a Class C felony, which calls for a maximum punishment of five years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine per violation. Lee Rousso sued the state for the right to continue playing online poker, once his hobby was made illegal by a 2006 revision to a section of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW 9.46.240). That call from PokerStars was one link in a chain of events stemming from a Washington Supreme Court ruling in the case of Rousso vs. 'It's strange to have people tell you that can't do what you want in your home.' 'I won and then a week later PokerStars actually called me and told me I couldn't play on their site anymore,' said Martin, 24, who splits time between Portland, Ore., and Seattle.

17, he went to work, logged on to PokerStars, paid $215 to enter Event 35 of the World Championship of Online Poker, played for more than 15 hours, outlasted 1,881 players and won $160,544 for his efforts.Ī week later, his life was turned upside down as he was in the position of choosing between his very lucrative job and the place he called home, thanks to a Washington state law that makes playing online poker for money illegal. Despite an accounting degree, Martin became a professional poker player and has become one of best online. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserĭan 'Wretchy' Martin has made his living the last four years playing online poker, earning more than $3 million in tournament winnings.

Online poker money legality washington state