I thought that this was an interesting story by Ken Schram:

http://www.komotv.com/features/kenschram/12567186.html 

Here's the text from the story:

Ken Schram: Gambling commission goes all in

He thought it was just some friends getting together for a little poker.

The Washington State Gambling Commission treated it like it was a criminal enterprise.

And so it came to be that the Jet Bar and Grill up in Mill Creek was raided by some 20 state and local law enforcement officers.

Steve Dorn, the poker "mastermind" and owner of the establishment, was arrested and now faces the possibility of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

Oh my.

Never mind that there are major inconsistencies in the state's tale, such as if, when and how Steve was warned about his little $20 Texas hold 'Em tournament.

Never mind that the bar didn't take penny one from the game.

Never mind that it was the same group of friends who'd been meeting every week for a couple of beers and some fun.

Never mind any of that.

Because when the state gets a burr up its bureaucratic butt, the only "never mind" is when the long arm of the law is ready to put a choke hold on someone like Steve Dorn.

You know what they say: Ignorance of the law is no excuse, but when it comes to stupidity, in this instance the state gambling commission is all in.
 

It'll be interesting to see how this one plays out.

~ Terry

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~ Terry G. Lee

huh, so is our game illegal? i thought we were cool since the house never took any $. was this because it was in a place of business and not a private home?

 i heard the federal law was repealled, but is there still a state law in effect?

 

ddv

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~ "Monkey Boy"
2007 Ragged Aces Champion
2007 Most Improved Player

Unfortunately, I have been unable to find any information on this besides this one little report by Ken Schram that doesn't go into any detail.  According to the laws as I and many people (like the people that host tournments at Microsoft every day and I assume Microsoft Legal for the giving campaign tournaments every year) have read them, and the call Christine made to the Gambling Commission a couple of years ago, we are within the guidelines of the law.

I suspect it had something to do with the fact that they were holding this tournament at a bar and restricting entry, or taking a cut for expenses, or something, who knows...the report is too flimsy on the details.

There are other reports of public places being raided like this, a VFW was closed because they hosted poker tournaments and charged an entry fee to help support the costs of running the VFW for example.

As for the laws of Washington State, we read that a repeal was passed for the online ban but now I'm reading that the Poker Players Alliance is still fighting the Washington State law in court so perhaps the repeal wasn't signed by the governor.

Stay tuned to the politics around poker and gambling after the elections next November, it is really going to get interesting.

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~ Clark
2007 Player of the Year
2006 Ragged Aces Champion