Once more, an online poker bill has died in the legal channels of Washington state, putting pay to any hopes that proponents of the game had that they would see a legalized and regulated industry in the near future. HB 1114, which was authored by Rep. Vincent Bys and Rep. Sherry Appleton, sought to legalize internet poker to licensed commercial and tribal gaming groups. However, lawmakers failed to act on the bill on the final day that legislation could be read in committees. As such, the bill did not move to the floor of the state’s House of Representatives. The bill, like its predecessor in 2015, was therefore shelved.
“The bill did not get the support that I had originally hoped for and consequently we will not be moving forward with it this session,” said Rep. Appleton.
Washington is one of only a handful of states which explicitly makes it a crime for residents to play poker online, although on a happier note, nobody has ever been prosecuted for this activity. It does mean, however, that it will take a lot of hard work for the House of Representatives to even hear an online poker bill, never mind approve it.
What may prove to be another obstacle in online poker regulation efforts is the current issue of Daily Fantasy Sports which seems to have gripped every state in the country. Washington also bans its residents from participating in real money games on sites such as FanDuel and DraftKings. Efforts have been made to legalize DFS in the state although this too will be a long battle.
Efforts are already underway to introduce a new version of HB 1114 next year, and proponents are pleased with the news that Amaya Gaming has engaged a lobbyist in Washington to help fight for the legalization and regulation of online poker. Washington also seems to be ahead of the game when it comes to cooperation between all the interest groups in the industry; unlike California which seems to bog down any advancement it makes in online poker legislation due to in-fighting.
Overall, online poker proponents in Washington don’t see the demise of HB 1114 as a failure. They knew there was little hope that it would make any progress this year, but feel that a process has begun and the issue has been brought into the public arena of discussion.
