VIP Sports, Matchbook.com Pull Service for Online Poker Players in Washington

Two more poker rooms have chosen to exit the Washington state market, signaling a continued exodus in the wake of a State Supreme Court ruling that upheld an online poker ban last year.

The latest rooms to ban players from Washington from playing in real money games were Matchbook.com and VIP Sports.

Laws in Washington make gambling online a class-C felony, one of the harshest classifications for gamblers (as opposed to operators) anywhere in the USA. While the Poker Players Alliance and other groups attempted to get the ban overturned, the state’s Supreme Court ruled that the ban was legal, which signaled the final word for many observers.

The first room to back out of the state market was Poker Stars, which did so almost immediately after the ruling was handed down. Full Tilt Poker complied soon thereafter. It is speculated that both sites may wish to follow state and federal gaming laws as closely as possible with an eye on being eligible to enter a regulated online poker market in the United States should one develop in the coming years.

Matchbook.com sent an email to players who reside in Washington, stating the following:

“Thank you for funding your Matchbook account in the past, but going forward we will no longer process any withdrawals from your state. We request that you stop making deposits to your account from your current address. If in the future deposits are accepted again from your area, we will be sure to inform you. We apologize for this inconvenience.”

VIP Sports had already stopped accepting new players from the United States beginning in 2007; however, they have allowed existing customers to continue using their accounts with no interruptions in service. Despite pulling out of Washington, both sites are still allowing players from the rest of the United States to play for real money.