US Court: Social Gaming Not Gambling

This story was published more than 8 years ago.

Last week a Federal Court in Washington dismissed a lawsuit which the plaintiff sued under the guise that social gambling was gambling under state law, and is therefore illegal.

The case was dismissed on the guise that virtual chips have no value and that because the plaintiff was not risking anything of value the activity was not gambling. The plaintiff's attorneys had previously argued that virtual chips can be sold on a secondary market and therefore did have some sort of value.

A report by the National Law Review on the case read: "The Court noted that the games are free to play and there is never a possibility of receiving real cash or merchandise, and that extended gameplay cannot result in any gain to the user aside from the amusement that accompanies it."

About the author

Dustin Jermalowicz // News Editor
Dustin Jermalowicz
Dustin has a long-standing passion for gambling. He has been writing professionally on the subject and breaking industry news for Casino Listings since 2011. His favorite casino games include Blackjack, Poker, and Hi/Lo. A proud native of Detroit, Dustin currently lives in Michigan.