SOURCE: The Daily Record

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“You have no idea who’s behind that computer screen,” Arland said. “There’s no recourse if you’re not paid or if you’re cheated. It’s extremely risky.”

Internet gambling is a $1.5 billion industry involving more than 15 million players worldwide, according to the National Law Journal.

Many experts believe the popularity of online gambling can be partly attributed to the emergence of Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments broadcast on major TV networks.

In 1995, the Journal of Gambling Issues reported 24 Internet gambling sites, according to the state gambling commission. In 2006, the number had increased to 2,500 sites.

Sports media like ESPN have had conversations centered on the odds of the upcoming Super Bowl on Feb. 3.

Commentators have discussed oddsmakers in Las Vegas who continue to close the gap between the favored Patriots and underdog Giants and what affect that will have upon the betting industry.

About 80 percent of bets to this point have been placed on the Giants, according to USA Today, but most bets are usually placed 72 hours or less before kickoff. The state’s enforcement of Internet gambling laws has come under scrutiny since the law was passed in 2006.

A Bellingham man was reprimanded by the state for writing about gambling on a website. He posted reviews of online casinos, links and listed casinos that were known to cheat people out of their money.

State officials called it “aiding and abetting” online gambling, according to a Seattle Times column. The paper itself drew fire for posting a poker how-to column on its Web site with a link to a poker site where people can discuss the game.

Although Washington is one of the nation’s strictest states on gambling, according to Arland, certain methods are allowed.

Businesses can conduct a sports board where players bet $1 on each numbered square.

The winning number is the square with the combined score of both teams in the Super Bowl. All winnings must be returned to the players, businesses cannot make any money on sports boards.

This is how Washington State's gambling ban began.

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