Update: Washington’s Anti-Online Gambling Laws under another Attack

A local player Curtis Woodard is the latest one to criticize the infamous Washington state law and overly punitive measures against online gamblers, starting a campaign for a more sensible approach to the pastime. The initiative seeks to legalize only intrastate online poker under the licensing and regulation of the Washington State Gambling Commission. Woodard described his crusade as "A player-based effort to amend WA State law to allow us the freedom to play internet poker from the comfort and privacy of our homes." He specified that two initiatives have been filed with the Secretary of State, and are on their way to the Code Reviser for review, adding: "I should have that review by the end of next week, and at that time will make any revisions necessary. "And so begins the battle. We need everyone who loves the game of poker, and all those who believe we should be free to play, from the State of Washington, to get on board with this effort and let's make it happen!" Reportedly he is trying to push the matter to the state ballot for 2014 through proposals titled the Washington State Internet Poker Act of 2014 and the Internet Poker Player Decriminalization Act 2014. As soon as they finalize the proposals, Woodard and other players of the same opinion will start a campaign that they hope will receive strong support from the Washington player community, whose 300,000 projected support signatures should get them on the 2014 general election ballot. If they reach the state legislature, the proposals can be adopted as state law, amended, legislators can give the voters a choice or take no action, in which case it will go to the November 2014 ballot. “As we spend the year gathering signatures, we will also be meeting with legislators to gather support in advance," Woodard specified, adding: "I will also be meeting with leaders of the big tribal interests, as I am working hard to get their support. It is my goal to have generated enough support so that even if we don't meet our signature goal, the legislature will take up the issue anyway.”