Agents shut down Washington "betting website"

Washington State Gambling Commission investigators shut down betting website Betcha.com on gambling law violation.

Agents shut down Washington "betting website" A gambling website, cross between a betting exchange and an eBay, has been shut down by the authorities, claiming that the website Betcha.com violates the anti-gambling law of 2006. Betcha.com offers a forum-like place for punters to bet against each other, without obligation to pay if they lose. Individual bettors receive customer ratings based on payouts, thus weeding-out bad punters.

Nick Jenkins, who owns and operates the site, claims that the fact his website does not accept or guarantee the bets, thus the website cannot be held liable under the state Internet gambling law. Jenkins even filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the state from applying the Internet gambling law to Betcha.com, but an agreement between Jenkins and the state was not reached, and three days later the investigators entered his office with a search warrant.

Jenkins is seeking a restraining order against the state, with a hearing in Thurston County scheduled for Tuesday. Susan Arland, the commission's spokeswoman, confirmed that the company's computers were seized but declined further comment.

Our opinion is: Although the website may be in a legal quagmire, when it comes to the Washington state Internet gambling law, Betcha.com could become a target under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA), which prohibits banks and companies of processing financial transactions for online gambling. And since you can deposit money to your Betcha.com account using your credit card, and then use the funds for wagering, Jenkins could be in bigger troubles than he believes. The website could also be a target for promoting gambling.

Published on 07/10/2007