Washington State Appeals Court Says No To Online Poker

A Renton lawyer's campaign to make Washington state safe for Internet poker players lost again on Monday.

A state appeals court rejected Lee Rousso's arguments that a 2006 law that forbids Internet gambling in the state violates the clause of the U.S. Constitution that gives the federal government the right to regulate interstate commerce.

Last May, a King County Superior Court judge also ruled against Rousso on a day that 70 online poker players rallied outside the courthouse.

The unanimous decision by three judges of division I of the appeals court says that Rousso would have to show that policing Internet poker imposes excessive burdens and not worth the state's commitment to regulating gaming.

"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...."

Rousso said appeals court rejected many of the state's arguments in the case, so he is leaning in favor of taking the case to the state Supreme Court.

When a King County Superior Court judge ruled against Rousso in May, about 70 poker enthusiasts rallied outside the courthouse. Some said they enjoyed playing online poker in their homes and saw no harm from it.

Rousso said he knows of no prosecutions under the law in the state.

Source:  Seattle Post Intelligencer