The citizens of Washington State have recently woken up and realized that it is now illegal for them to gamble on the internet. Not only is it illegal, but it is a felony with a higher jail time than armed robbery. Yes, turning on your computer in Washington State and enjoying a game of blackjack on your favorite online casino is a class C felony. Now this is not new news. The law was signed on March 28th, 2006. So why are Washington state's citizens just realizing this now? The law went into effect on June 7th. On June 16th the comments flew in to The Seattle Times opinion editorial section.
 
The comments were both amusing and enlightening.

Chris Nandor from Arlington wrote, "I would like to thank the Washington state Legislature for making online gambling a felony ["Internet gambling crackdown approved," Times, News, May 26]. After all, it's one thing to allow tribes to put a large casino in a residential area just two miles from my home; I, and my children, surely have nothing to fear from that. But I must be protected from going online to gamble in the safety and privacy of my own house." He added, "Five years in prison and a $10,000 fine for playing 25-cent hands of poker seems reasonable to me."

Jonathan Grange from Sedro Woolley had quite a bit to say as well."Well, we can all sleep better knowing that Gov. Christine Gregoire just signed into law Senate Bill 6613, making all online gambling in Washington state a Class C felony."

He added, "I find it ironic and downright hypocritical of our governor to be telling us on one hand to drive less, in order to save the environment and to ease traffic; yet on the other hand that we should drive many miles just to play a game of poker."

"What's next? Using the same logic we should of course ban trading stocks on the Internet as well. As many of us know, this is just as much a form of gambling as playing poker. Perhaps we should only allow stock trades to occur on tribal casinos. That would enable even more money to flow into certain political coffers."

It seems the writers of the op-ed's think that the only reason this law was enacted is to protect the Indian casinos which are located throughout the state. That these casinos donate large sums of money to the politicians doesn't do much to hurt their argument. Perhaps the governor Washington state needs to take a long look in the mirror of corruption.

 Glenn Cheeve from, Auburn is convinced it's because the money from the online casinos goes off-shore. "This is another attempt to regulate our private lives in our homes. The state motto should be "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness! (as long as we get our cut)."" Cheever is also convinced that the argument of protecting the children is poppycock. "I wonder if [legislators] think they can sell us anything if it is "for the children." Apparently the scourge known as online gambling had gotten so out of control that our politicians had to leap to our rescue." He adds, "Every morning, I drive to work and pass the local high school. Outside gathers a crowd of kids to have their morning cigarette before class. These are people who fit both our politicians' favorite groups to use when giving reasons why they had to take action: addicts and children." He finishes his point by asking, "Where is the cry to ban cigarettes? Wouldn't the best way to stop the youth smoking be to make all tobacco illegal in Washington? Why do we never hear this cry in Olympia?"  And answers it, "Money. Taxes are made and donations flow in to keep cigarettes lining walls of convenience stores across the state. In my opinion, [the online gambling law] too is all about money. There is no easy way to tax online gambling, especially when many of the sites [originate] overseas. It would be better if our politicians would just say, "We took this act to protect the tribes!"

Thomas Gassett from Everett took the government to task for their hypocrisy. "Consider the real sins behind the ban on online gambling. From my house, I can drive in almost any direction and pass a casino in less than five minutes. And just try to watch an hour of local television without a casino inviting you to join the fun! All of this has the full endorsement of our so-called representatives in Olympia.

If I want to play from the privacy of my own home (online), they are going to put me in jail. With a vote, they made me an unconvicted felon.

Are our most honorable representatives out to save me from myself or represent my interest?

Just how many of our representatives received donations, and/or other perks they don't like to talk about, from the state casino industry? And just how many can't stand the thought of me spending my money in the way I choose without them getting a cut?

Those who voted to put you in jail (if you don't spend your money where they can get their hands on some of it), needs a job in the private sector. Clearly, they are representing themselves ... not us.

How could this possibly be constitutional? And how do they intend to find out who is playing online poker? It's one thing for the government to keep track of the numbers you dial in the name of national security, and not many of us are comfortable with that. It's something else ... something felonious, when the government does so for the sole purpose of putting you in jail. Lest we forget."

Gassett brings up a good point. The only way to find out who is playing in online casinos is to invade someone's privacy. A privacy that most of us assume will be given. It's one thing to be looking for terrorists online and a whole other thing to find out who's playing a quarter slot in order to put them in jail.