It’s no use fighting it: gambling is as popular as it’s ever been throughout the United States, and far from being the exception that proves the rule, the state of Washington is a prime example of how gambling continues to grow in popularity. The problem that residents face is not a lack of interest, but rather a lack of knowledge concerning the gambling laws in Washington. While many land based and online options exist for residents of the Evergreen State to wager with, the legal landscape is often difficult to navigate.
This page is devoted to the gambling laws in Washington and will break down both the federal policies that impact gambling on US soil and the state laws that are specific to the state. It is our great hope that all residents that read this page will leave it with a deeper understanding of the Washington gambling laws, and hot they may work with them in the future.
While there are actually several facilities that offer sanctioned gambling in the state of Washington, they do boast some of the harshest language and hypothetical penalties for online gambling in the business. However, it’s important to know that aside from the language in the constitution, no Washington resident has ever been arrested for gambling online, only for facilitating online gambling by running a website. Legal offshore gambling sites that accept Washington residents still operate every day, and no one has ever been imprisoned or fined for using them.
RCW 9.46.010 - Here we have the purpose statement of the gambling laws in Washington. While there are policies that theoretically prevent residents from gambling online, the real target is larger crime syndicates. Targeting these factions serves the double purpose of attacking organized crime and protecting sanctioned casinos in Washington. Again, despite the harsh language of this law, no Washington resident who has been a mere player at legal gambling sites was ever arrested.
RCW 9.46.0237 - Here we have a comprehensive definition of gambling. Again, while gambling both online and in person is considered a crime in accordance with the state constitution, it’s important to note that no resident has ever been arrested for merely taking part in gambling.
RCW 9.46.0269 - This statute is one of the most serious pieces of gambling code in the state of Washington. “Professional” Gambling is often charged, and state authorities will seek out guilty parties to charge with this crime.
“Professional gambling in the second degree is a class C felony” - Yikes! Washington lawmakers are not kidding around about stamping out illicit gambling operations in their state. While gamblers are never brought up on charges, those who operate illicit gambling games are often punished to the fullest extent of the law.
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The first law that really had an effect on betting in the United States passed in 1961. The Federal Wire act made it impossible for bookmakers to transfer information related to sports betting across state lines. This was the first major blow dealt to organized crime in America and loosened the stranglehold that these criminal elements held over the country, especially in Chicago.
If the Wire Act made it hard to run a law abiding bookmaking business, the PASPA (short for the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) passed in 1992 made it impossible. Now, instead of the act of transmitting betting information across state lines being the only criminal charge associated with sports betting, this bill made it a crime to take a bet at all, even on land. Four states were exempt from the PASPA in Oregon, Montana, Delaware and Nevada, but unfortunately, in Washington, it passed unopposed.
The final federal law that gamblers in Washington need to deal with is the UIGEA or, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act if you’re nasty. When the Supreme Court ruled that the wire act did not apply to all forms of gambling and only sports betting, Congress tacked the UIGEA on to the safe port act and thus criminalized all online gambling operations in the United States.
It’s easy to gamble without garnering any legal attention in the state of Washington. There is, however, one key exception. Players absolutely must wait until they are over the legal gambling age of 18 before attempting to take part in any gambling activity. With such a comparatively low gambling age, gamblers can be sure that state law enforcement agencies will be on the lookout for anyone in violation of this policy.
The language concerning gambling, especially legal online gambling in Washington, can sound scary, but it’s all bark. No otherwise honest resident of the Evergreen State has found themselves in trouble merely for gambling online, so don’t let the constitution bring you down. With all the land based options spread throughout the state, the temptation to check them out may be there, but players should not feel restrained to those few locations.
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