Online casino gambling may still be in a legal grey area in the U.S. (pending recent legislation), however, in the State of Washington. the law is very clear that placing real-money bets in online casinos is an illegal act.  It has been less than two months since the anti-internet betting legislation was passed by State officials on June 7, and there have been no convictions to date. Despite the lack of an active crackdown, legal analysts are still giving a warning to those Washingtonians who participate in betting at online casinos.

The State Gambling Commission promised in a recent newsletter that they would not be pursuing an active campaign wrangling up the small folk, or rather, the online gamblers themselves.  Rather, it is within the State's political interests and practical tactics to go after the online casinos and betting companies who are making it available for U.S. citizens residing in Washington.  Furthermore, the entire basis behind Washington's decision to ban online gambling is because of the outdated Wire Act (which the most latest anti-online gambling bill awaiting the U.S. Senate seeks to update).  In all the glory of its ambiguity, the Wire Act prosecutes the engagement of the 'business' of betting, which could very easily be interpreted that only those "businesses" (online casinos) who take repeated online bets from players would be held accountable.

In its promise to not prosecute individual players, the State Gambling Commission also warned that U.S. players will still be held accountable for participating in internet gambling of any kind, whether that be through online casinos or sportsbooks.  The newly passed law specifically deems the activity an illegal one that amounts to a felony offense.  The Commission warned that if the records of a prosecuted online casino or gambling site are confiscated, and a players name is found to be in those records, the individual will likely be warned by official letter.  If that same individual's name shows up again at other online betting sites, charges could be made.

The recent take-down of BetOnSports is in many ways a foreshadowing of things to come if more legislation is passed to make online casino gambling illegal in the U.S.  It is also a foreshadowing of how players caught gambling at online casinos will be dealt with.  In the case of BetOnSports, the company was given a restraining order that required them to take everything down from their website except for a message on the homepage that said it was a violation of U.S. law to transmit bets from the U.S. to the BetOnSports website, and that players should call a 1-800 number to obtain a refund on their account, which most of the players still have not received.