The latest Washington Supreme Court ruling on online poker actually reiterates the fact that online poker is banned in the state; immediately, two more online poker rooms have decided to take the next train out.
Last year’s Poker Players Alliance backed attempts to overturn existing laws that make online poker and gambling illegal in the state proved to be fruitless. The Supreme Court upheld all previous laws in the statute books that anybody in Washington State found gambling online would be charged with a Felony C crime – one of the harshest anti-gambling laws in the United States.
Soon after this ruling, which looked to be the end of the road for gambling proponent groups, Poker Stars announced that it was leaving the state and blocking all players from Washington from playing at its site. Soon after that, Full Tilt Poker made a similar announcement, although Washington players who can prove to have an out-of-state address will be accepted to the state.
This week, however, it was announced that two more online poker sites are leaving the Washington cyber region, namely Matchbook.com and VIP Sports. Both have stated that they will be ceasing all operations in the state, effective immediately.