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PPA Supports Rousso

Draconian online casino and poker gambling laws in Washington State will now finally be contested by one aggressive internet gambler. Lee Roussos is a Seattle based lawyer who has fought for months to have a hearing granted in his case against the state. Rousso is specifically challenging legislation in the state that makes online casino and poker gambling a Class 3 felony offense. Washington is the only U.S. state that currently makes internet gamblers personally liable – even the highly controversial Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement does not place any personally liability on the gamblers. Rousso has developed a strong case against the state and has support all over the nation from the Poker Player’s Alliance (PPA).

Although the state continually attempted to prevent Rousso from presenting his case to the Washington courts, Rousso announced to the PPA that he has finally been giving a hearing on April 25, 2008. The PPA and others assert that Rousso has an entirely viable case against the Washington State legislation. Basically, the Wire Act does not make individual online casino gamblers personally liable – in fact the Wire Act specifically exempts players from personal liability. The Washington State laws violate these exemptions and further, Rousso claims that the limits on the online casinos gambling industry is to protect land gambling in the state.

Washington State has a very prominent land gambling industry through tribal compacts and other legislation. Because the land gambling industry is regulated whereas online casinos gambling cannot be regulated (because it is technically banned in the U.S.) the state government loses out on any potential revenue if gamblers circumvent the land casinos by gambling online.

The PPA has announced that the group will release Rousso’s planned brief prior to the April 25th court date, and Rousso encourages any internet poker player to attend the court hearing and support his case.