We Can't Tell You What This Post Is About If You Live In Washington

from the don't-read-this-post dept

If you live in Washington State, you might not want to read this post. It could be illegal. Last month, Washington State jumped the gun on Congress’ attempt to outlaw online poker and rushed through with its own law. However, it appears the impact goes well beyond getting people to stop playing poker online. Soon after that law was passed, we noted how an online site that just talked about casinos was sent a cease and desist and forced to shut down. The latest is that various gambling magazines are telling residents of Washington that they are canceling subscriptions in the state and can no longer publish anything there. This seems like a pretty clear violation of free speech rights that will undoubtedly end up in court before too long. However, in the meantime, aren’t there more important things the state should be worried about than whether or not someone is reading about gambling?


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Comments on “We Can't Tell You What This Post Is About If You Live In Washington”

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39 Comments
Marcelo Calbucci (user link) says:

No smokin' & no strippers

Yes, there are two very important laws that just went in effect here in Washington:

1) You can’t smoke at less than 25 feet of a building entrance (including, bars, malls, etc.)

2) It is illegal to open new strip-clubs in the city of Seattle, and there is some *other* important provisions on this law as well.

See, WA politicians have their hand full.

PS: WA is pretty much considered a liberal state.

Anonymous Coward says:

OK, so Danny boy (the author) didn’t check to see if the state had told the publisher not to send their magazine to its residents, or they just did it on their own. Now, you guys post the same thing and didn’t bother to check either.

That is what I call responsible journalism. We don’t really care about the facts, just the sizzle. I guess whatever gets ratings or clicks if fine, right?

Paul (user link) says:

Re: Responsible Journalism

No, he doesn’t – and he doesn’t imply the state forced them too. He instead showcases the chilling effects of too much government involvement.

Dipshit, just because you don’t like the article, you have no valid reason to claim it wasn’t responsible journalism. Read into things instead of being spoonfed.

Nick says:

Re: Re: Responsible Journalism

If the facts weren’t checked, the journalism is *indeed* irresponsible. That is irrefutable. Also irrefutable is that fact that epithets require little mental effort to lob out of whatever foxhole you are hiding in. I suggest you try intelligent banter in the future and avoid the profanity.

Scott says:

Not the whole story

Talking about online gambling isn’t illegal in WA. What is being missed here is linking to unlawful site is unlawful. To draw a parallel talking about child porn isn’t illegal, linking to unlawful child porn sites is illegal. Same here, talking about online gambling isn’t illegal, linking to unlawful online gambling sites is.

Now, the fact that online gambling is illegal is a completely seperate issue.

Michael L. says:

Re: Re: Re:3 come on...

lets be honest here, it doesn’t matter who you elect, the same people will be controlling the government and the economy. They do whatever they deem neccessary to get what they want, be it lie, cheat, steal or blow up skyscrapers. There really has been absolutely no political progress in that country for 20 years or so, plenty of regress though.

Beavis says:

I live in washington, there is no shortage of gambling here between the indian casinos and non-indian card rooms.

the problem is the frakken gubment aint getting their cut of the dough.

if they could get a percentage, they’d be all for it, i’m sure there is some womens/children/poverty issue thats begging for a few million more bucks a year.

Fred says:

Re: Government getting their cut

>the problem is the frakken gubment aint getting their cut of the dough.

Oh, the politicians are getting their cut all right. They’re getting it in the form of “campaign contributions”.

The people who come out ahead from this legislation are the ones who are getting their competitors banned. They’re the existing casinos, and the state senator (Margarita Prentiss, D-11) who introduced this piece of legislation got money from them:

WA INDIAN GAMING ASSN OLYMPIA WA

NISQUALLY INDIAN TRIBE OLYMPIA WA

MUCKLESHOOT INDIAN TRIBE AUBURN WA

CHIPS CASINO LLC BREMERTON WA

CONF TRIBES OF COLVILLE RESERVATION NESPELEM WA

GOLDIE’S SHORELINE CASINO SHORELINE WA

Draw your own conclusions.

Mike in WA says:

Re: Re:

The other problem is that what’s her face the politician that got that stupid anti gambling law passed got 90% of her campaign contributions from the tribal casinos here in WA.

She got paid, the rest of us get screwed. And for the idiots who keep passing off all of the washington state residents as the same, get a clue.

Trvth Jvstice says:

IMO

President Bush is a good person and I honestly believe he means well. I agree with most of his decisions and I’m sure most of the country feels the same. He won his last election with more votes than any president has ever received. While his intelligence has been questioned many times, remember he is a Harvard graduate. You have to give him some credit for that.

However, we’ve had total republican rule in Washington for years now and I have to admit, we haven’t accomplished nearly as much as I would have liked (in most states, a 15 year old girl can still get an abortion without her parent’s permission). This has left me feeling sort of jaded about politics. I’m beginning to think politicians are all the same, when they’re off camera.

EverydayBS says:

Re: IMO

Stop watching Fox News. It rots your brain. I mean are you really that out of touch. Do you honestly want me to believe that just because Bush “graduated” from Harvard he is intelligent. His graduation wasn’t bought cause that would be illegal. And our beloved President would never do anything illegal. He may mean well but his backbone is so shriveled he falls for every scam his greedy confidant’s feed him. It’s no coincidence that oil campanies are making record profits. Oh wait… maybe he is a genius….get elected President then run the US like it’s your own piggy bank. No that’s already been done by his Bush Sr. and every other President in my lifetime. So maybe he really is an idiot and just walking the path his predecesors have, line the pockets of those in power. Tax cuts for the rich = more hoarded money that will not see circulation for many years. It’s just the trickle-down theory all over again.

And to state that you should do a little research on something on your own is not liberal banter, it’s being a responsible citizen. One that values an educated response, not just the ‘Junk’ new you here on one channel.

Sad citizen says:

President Bush is a good person and I honestly believe he means well………..Do your homework on the “Man”, then come back and try to make an intelligent reserch based comment……Pay attention America, things arn’t getting better….Watch a little less TV, Do a little digging, it won’t take much, we get exactly what we vote for …most of the time…Whatever, I love my country, but we are paying dearly for our ignorance and indifference. Suddenly “Free” isn’t gonna be what it used to be…

UW C.Sci Student says:

Re: under-edumacated

Just because I own a gun, like driving fast, play poker, and drink whiskey doesn’t mean I’m stupid. Oh yeah, I’m also a Republican. And oh yeah, I def hate Cuntry music. Don’t you all realize that if that indecisive moron kerry was in office, (yes, his name doesn’t even deserve to be capitalized), he’d be bent over his desk getting a dildo shoved in his ass by his secretary and asking her advise at the same time “Hey hun, do you think I should give old Osama another chance to be a good little boy, or should I ask him not to kill anymore of our people nicely?”

Bush has big expensive boots, I’m just glad he knows how to kick some ass with them, or else that war would be in our country not in theirs.

P.S. – How the hell did this law ever pass? And who got to vote on it? Shouldn’t somebody have realized the little whore who proposed it is a fuckin Indian Pawn?

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