The two largest remaining online poker sites still serving U.S. players, Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars, have each announced that they’re pulling out of Washington state.
The news came after the Washington Supreme Court upheld a state law that strictly prohibits online gambling and Internet poker in the state — rules that go much farther than other states.
“PokerStars announced that it will not let any players who have a Washington address compete on their site, period,” according to Andrew Feldman’s poker blog at ESPN.com. “Full Tilt on the other hand, took a different approach and said nobody can play within Washington, but if Washington residents travel outside the state they are eligible to play.”
Seattle media is reporting that residents are upset (or, um, “angsting”), although that seems to be coming most from the area’s “professional” online poker players like Dan “Wretchy” Martin.