The Washington State Gambling Commission has tweeted that it has been receiving questions about free play poker sites, such as PokerStars, denying access to state residents.

A recent ruling by Ninth Circuit of U.S. Court of Appeals stated that social casino games are illegal under the State of Washington’s existing gambling laws.

It began back in 2015 after a woman lost over $1,000 in virtual chips. She sued Churchill Downs, the then-parent company of Big Fish Casino over the loss. Under Washington law, gambling is “risking something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance.”

It all boils down to what constitutes value. Value, according to the law, includes anything that can be exchanged for money or the “the extension of a service, entertainment, or a privilege of playing a game or scheme without charge.” The appeals court reversed the decision of the lower court ruling that virtual chips are not a thing of value.

Big Fish Casino prohibited the sale of virtual chips for money, but it did require players to use virtual chips to play their games. That means virtual chips have a value because players cannot play without them.

More about free play poker in Washington State at US Poker