Update on Washington State Bills

[TheMathProf]

Not sure. There is a link to the Committee on the TVW Website, and I haven't listened to all of the audio, but the Event Title doesn't list this bill as one of the ones discussed.

Here's the link I've found to help folks keep updated.

http://www.tvw.org/MediaPlayer/Archi...210&TYPE=A

[NPIII]

Go to 2:24 and you will find the discussion on this.


Here's the link I've found to help folks keep updated.

http://www.tvw.org/MediaPlayer/Archi...210&TYPE=A

[TheMathProf]

FYI, this is at 2:24:00 (approximately) running until approximately 2:30:00, and not 0:02:24.

While the discussion regarded HB 2127, Strow presented some thoughts with the committee. Strow was asked regarding whether he thought a gross misdemeanor was too harsh a penalty, and responded that he thought that even a misdemeanor was too harsh.

Strow indicated a willingness to do a rewrite, and my take on it was that Strow was not willing to rewrite for a gross misdemeanor, although I think I misunderstand political speak from time to time; one of the speakers who followed seemed excited about the rewrite to a "gross misdemeanor". [EDIT: I did appear to misinterpret this; see below.]

EDIT: Not so fast!! HB2320 made it past a first hearing that would make recreational online gambling a <u>gross</u> misdemeanor. The vote was 5-3 in favor, and was scheduled for a second hearing on the 28th.

Check the approximately 36 minute mark here:
http://www.tvw.org/MediaPlayer/Archi...360&amp;TYPE=A
for audio on the rolecall.

Check http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summ...2007#documents to follow this bill.

This is the substitute bill, not the original bill which did not have the "gross misdemeanor" penalty, but the "misdemeanor" penalty instead.

A basic summary of the audio is here:
http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2...e/2320.HBR.pdf

[Premium]

Poker is!!! a game of skill and not of luck if you play longterm, so absolutly: HB 1243

[Freakin]

so this is good (better?), right?

[StellarWind]

[ QUOTE ]
Summary: HB 1243 makes there be no crime to play online poker for recreational purposes. HB 2127 changes the felony part of the law into a misdemeanor.

[/ QUOTE ]
Passing HB 2127 is actually the worst possible outcome. I would strongly prefer that nothing pass.

Right now the felony aspect of Washington law is a major embarrassment. It is so unreasonable it makes opponents of internet gaming look really bad. As long as playing internet poker is a felony, repeal bills like HB 1243 are going to keep coming up. Eventually Washington could stop being a prohibition state.

HB 2127 would solve our opponents' political problem. Internet poker would remain a misdemeanor forever. That's a tragedy because Washington is by far the best state to use for building a UIGEA prosecution against a pure poker room.

Who cares whether playing online poker is a felony or merely a serious misdemeanor? It's not like anyone is actually going to be prosecuted. Clearly the state has no intention of enforcing this law.

[TheMathProf]

[ QUOTE ]
HB 2127 would solve our opponents' political problem.

[/ QUOTE ]

Probably, although I don't know if they really face severe problems in the first place. While I would also rather see it remain a felony for exactly the reasons you state, I do foresee the possibility that HB2320 completely backfires.

When the Washington State Legislature passed their bill last fall, many legislators could claim that they didn't recognize the scope of the bill that they had passed. Keep in mind that the bill they passed last year is the same one that got Negreanu's column removed from the Seattle Times.

So in response to this, in response to the idea that they went too far, they give... just the tiniest little bit back? This is almost worse than the original bill, in that now they're acknowledging that recreational play shouldn't be considered under the previous statutes, but still punishable by gross misdemeanor penalties?

With this bill, and if there were a politically active pushback in the state of Washington, this bill could actually prove to be even more of a catalyst for further action.

Since that likely isn't the case, it probably really doesn't matter one way or the other.

[Freakin]

i think the enforcement will be the same, i'd rather have it be a misdemeanor than a felony for obvious reasons.

[TheMathProf]

I think that enforcement will stay the same, also, but I believe that if this bill passes, the government will think they've done their part.

[ackbleh]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Summary: HB 1243 makes there be no crime to play online poker for recreational purposes. HB 2127 changes the felony part of the law into a misdemeanor.

[/ QUOTE ]
Passing HB 2127 is actually the worst possible outcome. I would strongly prefer that nothing pass.

Right now the felony aspect of Washington law is a major embarrassment. It is so unreasonable it makes opponents of internet gaming look really bad. As long as playing internet poker is a felony, repeal bills like HB 1243 are going to keep coming up. Eventually Washington could stop being a prohibition state.

HB 2127 would solve our opponents' political problem. Internet poker would remain a misdemeanor forever. That's a tragedy because Washington is by far the best state to use for building a UIGEA prosecution against a pure poker room.

Who cares whether playing online poker is a felony or merely a serious misdemeanor? It's not like anyone is actually going to be prosecuted. Clearly the state has no intention of enforcing this law.

[/ QUOTE ]

This entire thread seems to be full of recreational online poker players who think it's ok for it to be a felony to play poker online professionally. Am I missing something? Because as far as I can tell, the bill you're calling 'the solution' is the worst possible outcome for the same reason that you dislike the alternative: If playing 'recreationally' is made legal, nobody will repeal the felony law for 'professional' poker players.

Playing poker is playing poker. It shouldn't be legal if you suck and illegal if you're good.