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Starting back in 2008, Attorney Lee Rousso has been trying to get the a 2006 amendment to the 1973 Gambling Act stricken from Washington State law books.  The road has been thus far unsuccessful.  His first attempt was shot down by a King County Judge.  According to that ruling Russo failed to prove that the law was protectionist, discriminatory and in direct violation of the United State Constitution.

A victory in this case would have been a big success for online casinos.  Many are still waiting for the federal government to overturn the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act and regulate online casinos in the United States.  However, there are others that believe that gambling has always been a state issue and the future of online casinos rests with state legislation.  That is the battle that Rousso is fighting.  Rousso is also a representative of the Washington State Poker Player’s Alliance.

Yesterday marked another disappointment for Rousso when the Washington State Court of Appeals also rejected that the 2006 amendment violated the United States Constitution.

Back in 2006 an amendment was added to the 1973 Gambling Act that clearly names the Internet as a mode of receiving or transmitting banned gambling information.  The law also upped such activity from being a misdemeanor to being a Class C felony.

The court of appeals stated in their decision: “Ultimately, given the importance of the state's interest in protecting its citizens from the ills associated with gambling, and the relatively small cost imposed on out-of-state businesses by complying... Rousso has failed to meet his burden....”
 

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