Online Gambling Case Dismissed

March 14, 2008

The case brought by the Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association, or iMEGA, against the United States regarding the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, or UIGEA, has been dismissed by the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. Judge Mary L. Cooper dismissed the case, but did grant them the standing to pursue a challenge of the online gambling law.

The iMEGA side says that it was a win for them as they say that this ruling only proves that online gambling is only illegal in those states that specific state in their constitution that online gambling is illegal. Otherwise, it is legal.

The Department of Justice said that iMEGA did not have the standing to challenge it, as it was passed by Congress. They also said that as it had not yet been “implemented, iMEGA had no grounds to dispute the law in court.” However, iMEGA says that the ruling shows that they obviously do.

They say that this ruling shows the flaws in the online gambling law, and shows that it is not a truly enforceable law. They said that this ruling simply shows that it should not have been passed, and that the day that it will be overturned is not far off.

Cooper chose not to debate whether or not the law should have been passed, simply stating that there was a disagreement as to the fundamentality that online gambling should be “controlled legislatively.” She said that it was not her job to “speculate” on the law itself.


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