Washington State Rejects Online Poker Appeal

The Washington State court has rejected attorney Lee Rousso's appeal. The problem is in the 2006 law, an amendment to the
1973 Gambling Act. This law was implemented at the hands of Governer
Christine Gregoire which made the act of gambling online, including  online poker, a class C felony.

Even though there have been no prosecutions of online gamblers under
the law to date, Lee Rousso believes that the principle is important
enough to pursue further. His fight against the law began as an
attorney and at one point he even decided to run for Governor of
Washington in hopes of making changes from within the political system.

When he realised he would not qualify for the 2008 primary race, he withdrew from the race and stated:

"Even though I am dropping out of the political arena, I will
continue to work to change the laws so that Internet poker players can
enjoy the Great American Game from the privacy of their own homes."

Rousso wasn't discouraged by his withdrawal from the race for the Governor and became the PPA's regional director for Washington. He continued with
the campaign against the classification of online gaming as felony, as
he believes it violates the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution.

On Monday, March 23, Rousso's latest attempt was rejected by the state
appeals court as the three Division I judges noted that Rousso would
have to prove that criminalizing internet poker imposes excessive
burdens:

"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..."