from the gotcha.com dept
A few weeks ago, we mentioned the launch of Betcha.com, a sports betting website that was attempting to
skirt anti-gambling laws by making payments voluntary. The reasoning of the site's founders was that if players weren't technically obliged to pay up on losing bets, then they weren't actually gambling. Of course, the site had no assurances that the government would agree with its interpretation of the law, so the founders were literally putting their freedom on the line. Well, it didn't take long for Betcha.com to get busted. Authorities in Washington state have
seized the company's computers (via
Midas Oracle), as law enforcement officials felt that the site was in contravention of a
2006 law against online gambling. It's not particularly surprising that authorities didn't agree with Betcha.com's interpretation of the law, although it is very surprising to learn that the site was operating out of Washington, because of all of the states, Washington has taken the
hardest line against internet gambling. Gee guys, isn't dealing with the federal gambling ban enough of a headache?
Filed Under: gambline
Companies: betcha
