Ky. Cites Obscure Law in Suit to Recover Residents' Online Gambling Losses
The state of Kentucky has sued the Full Tilt Poker website and other online gambling operations in an effort to recoup gambling losses—times three—for Kentucky residents.
The suits rely on a state law that says gambling winners have no right to collect, the Louisville Courier-Journal reports. Losers who pay anyway can sue winners to recover three times their losses. If the losers don’t step forward within six months, “any other person” may sue.
One defendant in the suit is Ireland-based Pocket Kings LTD, which operates Full Tilt Poker. The suit also names as defendants unknown entities that operate dozens of other online gambling sites, the story says.
Experts told the newspaper about arguments that may be made by the defendants. Among their possible claims:
• Kentucky can’t recover because the gambling transactions didn’t occur there.
• The winners liable under the statute are other gamblers, rather than the poker websites that charge fees for operating the games.
• The statute authorizes suits by other persons such as spouses and children, but not the state.
