Because, you know, the prisons aren’t full enough, gambling’s a sin, and government fines keep the country moving.

Washington State is even tougher on online gambling, which makes it an interesting choice of venues for Betcha.com. The site’s founder and attorney, Nick Jenkins, thought he could skirt the law by making all payouts voluntary.

It’s an "honor-based betting platform," where site users are rated based on how often or not they welsh on a bet. Technically, Jenkins tells the Seattle Post Intelligencer, Betcha.com doesn’t accept or back bets, and therefore the laws don’t apply to him. It’s more of a social network for gamblers than a gambling site.

That argument lasted about three weeks, as the joint was raided by the Washington State Gambling Commission. The site’s still online though, it appears.

Maybe one day the government will stop trying to protect us from ourselves, and remember we set this country up with the intent to protect ourselves from the government.