PokerStars reduces its offering in Washington State

Pokerstars has stopped offering free online poker to avoid potentially violating Washington State laws.

US.- The Ninth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals overturned a district court ruling last week and ruled social casino games illegal under Washington State gambling laws. The ruling triggered PokerStars (and other companies) to change their offering, which is why the online poker giant no longer offers free online poker to local gamblers.

The lawsuit involved Churchill Downs Inc., which was (in 2015) the parent company of Big Fish Games. Big Fish Casino virtual chips – which were needed to play any of the website’s games – were limited, and once the player ran out of them, he or she would have to purchase more or wait until they were offered for free again.

Taking into consideration that Washington law stated that gambling is “the staking or risking something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under the person’s control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that the person or someone else will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome,” the appeals court considered Big Fish Casino illegal.

Despite the ruling leading to PokerStars and others making changes, the Washington State Gambling Commission stated that it “did not order these sites to discontinue free online play for Washington residents” and urged “customers with concerns” to “contact these websites directly.”