Hi all,

I have sad news. PokerStars has announced that, as a result of the WA State Supreme Court ruling upholding that state's anti-online gaming law, PokerStars has decided to stop serving that state.

Here's the announcement:

 

PokerStars statement on the blocking of players from Washington State

PokerStars today announced that it would cease providing real-money poker to residents of Washington State. To date, PokerStars has operated in Washington on the basis of legal opinions where the central advice was that the state could not constitutionally regulate Internet poker, or at least could not discriminate in favor of local cardrooms and against online sites. Last week, however, the Washington Supreme Court for the first time rejected that position and upheld the state's Internet gaming prohibition.

In light of this decision, following extensive consultation with our legal advisors, we believe that the right course of action is to now block real money play by Washington residents on the PokerStars.com site. This policy will remain in effect until the law changes or subsequent legal challenges succeed. Our decision to block real money play in Washington does not affect the balance of funds in customer accounts, which remain completely safe. Our payment services team continues to be available to Washington State residents to assist with cashout requests.

We regret this decision, which will no doubt disappoint our customers in Washington State. However, in all of the jurisdictions where we operate, we are committed to making responsible decisions that are based on a full and considered understanding of the most up-to-date legal advice.

PokerStars remains supportive of passing sensible Internet poker regulation in the United States that will provide much-needed tax revenues and formalize consumer protections. PokerStars operates under those conditions, complying with rigorous licensing regimes, for its worldwide operations in the Isle of Man (UK), and for local operations in Italy, France and Estonia.

If you haven't done so recently, I recommend we all tell our lawmakers that we demand that they support our right to play. Just go to www.theppa.org/takeaction. It takes just 60 seconds.

Here's their FAQ, from http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/news/washington/faq:

Washington State: Frequently Asked Questions

General
My account
Playing on PokerStars
An important final word
Contact Support
Back to top

General:

Why can I no longer play on PokerStars?

For an explanation of this issue, please review our statement at:
PokerStars statement on the blocking of players from Washington State

My account:

What will happen to my account balance?

Your account balance is completely safe. You are allowed to cash out your balance or transfer it to another player.
To cash out, simply log in to your PokerStars account, click on 'Cashier', and then click on 'Cash Out'. You will then see your available cashout methods, and can select the one that is appropriate for you. If you encounter difficulties, please contact paymentservices@pokerstars.com for direct assistance with your cashout.

What will happen to my tournament tickets and T$?

All pending tournament tickets and T$ balances will be converted to cash and added to your existing balance. This process may take some time to complete, but we plan to complete all conversions by end of day Monday, October 4.

What will happen to my VIP status?

Your VIP status will remain stored. In the event that you move to a another state/country, or Washington's law changes as a result of further court decisions or a change in legislation, your status will be fully restored.
What will happen to my FPPs?

You can purchase any items in the VIP Store until the end of 2010.
By the end of the day on October 1, we will be removing the play-through requirement for all newly purchased VIP Reward Bonuses, so you will be able to purchase cash bonuses based on your VIP status.
Please visit the VIP Store in the PokerStars 'Cashier' window to purchase a cash bonus or other items.

What will happen to real money tournaments that I am currently playing in, or the ones I am already registered in for the future?

You will be allowed to complete any tournaments that you are playing in once the account restriction begins.

We will automatically unregister you from all tournaments that have not started yet.

Can you give me any further information about my account?

We are reviewing other outstanding issues, and will update this page with new information when it becomes available.

Playing on PokerStars:

If I move or I have moved, will I be able to play on PokerStars again?

This restriction only applies to players currently residing in the state of Washington. In the event that you are no longer living in Washington, you are free to play on our site as in the past. However, to do so, you will be required to submit proof that you are actually resident in another location to have your privileges reinstated. Acceptable proof consists of copies of photo identification as well as a recent utility bill showing your new physical address.

Acceptable proof consists of copies of photo identification as well as a recent utility bill showing your new physical address.
Please contact verifications@pokerstars.com to handle this process.

May I play if I ordinarily live outside Washington, but I am visiting Washington?

It is not permitted to play for real money while in the state of Washington. Even if you are simply visiting, you may not play on PokerStars while you are there.

May I play if I ordinarily live in Washington, but I am travelling outside of Washington?

Currently, all accounts registered to a Washington address are blocked from real money play. To remove this block, you must physically reside at a new location outside of Washington on a permanent basis, and be able to prove that you are doing so. This would not be possible to do simply during a visit to another state or country. As such, you are not permitted to play even when travelling outside Washington if you are regularly a resident there.

Can I still play in PokerStars live events?

You are still welcome to play in the PCA or any of our live poker tours. Unfortunately, you will not be able to buy in directly to these events through PokerStars (except with funds that you now have on PokerStars but have not cashed out), as there will be no way for players from Washington to deposit money on our site.

Can I still play for play money?

Yes, players from Washington are free to continue to play for play money on either our .com or our .net site. However, at this time it will not be allowed for Washington residents to participate in freeroll tournaments which have real money prizes.

An important final word:

Is there anything I can do to change the current legal situation in Washington State?

Yes. You can make your feelings regarding the current state of the law in Washington known to your local legislators. We also encourage you to become a member of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) which is a non-profit players' organization with the mission to establish favorable laws that provide poker players with a secure, safe and regulated place to play. To learn more or to join the PPA, visit:

http://www.theppa.org

Contact Support

You can contact support by following this link, or by emailing support@pokerstars.com

Certain aircards should still work? Obv change addy tho...

So this is the result of the FBI probe back in Feb? not sure if that was DC/WA tho
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/57...out-ft-716470/

prolly should update that thread too.

 

Originally Posted by just-jOHnny

Certain aircards should still work? Obv change addy tho...

So this is the result of the FBI probe back in Feb? not sure if that was DC/WA tho
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/57...out-ft-716470/

prolly should update that thread too.

PS has legal opinions showing they are operating legally everywhere they offer services. Unfortunately, Washington State's law against online poker was upheld by the state supreme court.

That sucks. I did both on PPA. Hope this doesn't become a growing trend..

 

Originally Posted by qwik2pwn

That sucks. I did both on PPA. Hope this doesn't become a growing trend..

I think we're safe for now from new state bans. PPA has beaten back efforts in Mass. for a ban and anti-online poker efforts in other states. What I fear most now are high-rake state monopolies that ban competition (especially with greedy corporate interests like Commerce Casino seeking higher taxes in exchange for reduced competition).

 

Originally Posted by johnny_B420

This is some bullshit. I loved playing on pokerstars, but because our state government wants to control little things in people's lives like gambling online, in the privacy of my own home, where I'm harming nobody, I can't anymore. Goodbye Pokerstars! I will miss your Sit and Go's that filled up almost instantly, goodbye to all your deepstack cash game tables, and goodbye to all the awesome guaranteed tournaments your ran pretty much all day. Now I know how the French players feel, lol.

I feel for you and all the Washington State players.. Blame your government, not Pokerstars tho..

French players got their own version of Pokerstars that is fulled with 98% French players on every table.. I think their story ended a bit better..

 

Originally Posted by chicagocards1

wow that is pretty sad

pretty sad that people feel the need to tell others what they can and can't do with their money. fuck people.

Hopefully all my boys come back to Oregon.... really ridiculous, especially for a "progressive" state

Top 10 ranked players from the state of Washington

1 Squee451
2 Wretchy
3 ElMastermind
4 Jovial Gent
5 mcmatto
6 kmksmkn
7 marinersheep
8 ACgaming
9 dmoneymills
10 Runnin Rich

 

Originally Posted by bankrollme87

Top 10 ranked players from the state of Washington

1 Squee451
2 Wretchy
3 ElMastermind
4 Jovial Gent
5 mcmatto
6 kmksmkn
7 marinersheep
8 ACgaming
9 dmoneymills
10 Runnin Rich

Ouch....That sucks they they have to pack up and move out of state due to some narrow minded few in Wash. Government. Wish I was a real estate agent in Washington

Once the supreme court makes a ruling like this, I see other states likely to follow...

This really sucks.. i'm just a micro guy and occasional player, but have a small balance on stars and enjoy playing. Got the email from stars today... wonder how far stars is going to go in verifying folks are from washington...

this is unreal...duno wtf im going to doooooooooooo.adsfl;jahdf;lajsdf;lkajdfasdf no warning either

That's some bull shit but the silver lining is that Florida is nice...