For the Reporter

Washington residents should be free to play fantasy football and other fantasy sports, says state Sen. Pam Roach, sponsor of legislation to decriminalize such games.

“Our state sees fantasy football as a game of chance – a felony crime. Congress has long considered fantasy football to be a game of skill. My bill will change the state’s definition,” said Roach, a Republican from rural Auburn.

Roach estimates 500,000 people in Washington play fantasy sports. She introduced Senate Bill 5284 on Monday to legalize their activity. It has bipartisan sponsorship and has been referred to the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee.

Players of fantasy sports generally compete by assembling make-believe teams composed of real-life athletes, then tracking how members of their teams perform in actual games. For example, the same strong results that Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch has produced on the field this year have made him a desirable pick among fantasy-football players.

Roach’s legislation would bring Washington law on fantasy sports into line with the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act passed by Congress in 2006.