Opinion ID: 2204251
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: State interest and burden on interstate commerce

Text: ¶ 24 The State wields police power to protect its citizens' health, welfare, safety, and morals. On account of ties to organized crime, money laundering, gambling addiction, underage gambling, and other societal ills, [t]he regulation of gambling enterprises lies at the heart of the state's police power. Johnson v. Collins Entm't Co., 199 F.3d 710, 720 (4th Cir.1999); see also Edmonds Shopping Ctr. Assocs. v. City of Edmonds, 117 Wash.App. 344, 352, 71 P.3d 233 (2003). ¶ 25 Internet gambling introduces new ways to exacerbate these same threats to health, welfare, safety, and morals. Gambling addicts and underage gamblers have greater accessibility to on-line gamblingable to gamble from their homes immediately and on demand, at any time, on any day, unhindered by in-person regulatory measures. Concerns over ties to organized crime and money laundering are exacerbated where on-line gambling operations are not physically present in-state to be inspected for regulatory compliance. Washington has a legitimate and substantial state interest in addressing the effects of Internet gambling. ¶ 26 RCW 9.46.240 imposes a burden on interstate commerce by walling off the Washington market for Internet gambling from interstate commerce. The extent of this burden is mitigated somewhat. First, the ban does not prevent or hinder Internet gambling businesses from operating throughout the rest of the world. Second, those businesses can easily exclude Washingtonians. If an individual during registration marks his or her location as the state of Washington, the gambling web site can end the registration there. Nevertheless, preventing Internet gambling businesses from having access to Washington consumers who would otherwise patronize those businesses still has a considerable impact on interstate commerce. This burden on interstate commerce is comparable to the substantial state interest stemming from the State's police power to protect the health, welfare, safety, and morals of its citizens. [7]