From the Files of U.S. District Court

14 June 1999
Is that wicked stench permeating western Wisconsin the smell of spoiled cheese or is it the rotting of the United States' justice system? Could be both, but we've at least uncovered some evidence of the latter.

Two class action lawsuits were filed in U.S. District court--one in the Western District of Wisconsin, the other in the Northern District of Alabama in early June--against major credit card companies on behalf of players who owe them money that was lost while gambling online.

IGN has obtained a copy of the brief for the Wisconsin case, which was filed against MasterCard International, Inc. and MBNA America Bank.

The case examines the following:

  • Whether the use of telephone and data transmission lines for Internet gambling constitutes a violation of federal law;

  • Whether the use of telephone and data transmission lines by Defendants to credit the Internet casinos and to debit the accounts of Plaintiff and the Class for Internet gambling debt constitutes a violation of federal law;

  • Whether the use of telephone and data transmission lines by Defendants to credit the Internet casinos and to debit the accounts of Plaintiff and the Class for Internet gambling debt constitutes an aiding and abetting violation of federal law;

  • Whether Defendants' contracts with Plaintiff and the Class as to Internet gambling debts are legally void, or voidable, and unenforceable, because they are illegal obligations pursuant to specified federal statutes, regulations and public policy;

  • Whether Plaintiff and the Class are entitled to have their accounts credited for the amount of outstanding Internet gambling debt currently; and

  • Whether Plaintiff and the Class are entitled to a refund, or credit, of the amount of Internet gambling debt and interest and penalties thereon already paid by them.

[View the brief in its entirety]





Mark Balestra

Mark Balestra is the Managing Director at BolaVerde Media Group. He previously worked at Clarion Gaming and the River City Group where he was the publisher of iGamingNews. He lives in St. Louis, Missouri.