Jerry Hannosh from Arizona probably feels a little bad that he gambled on an offshore gambling site, as he tried to sue the company through the Arizona court for the $800,000 he lost gambling there. Judge Maurice Portley didn’t agree with Hannosh however, as he believes that Hannosh knew what he was going in to.
“Hannosh got what he bargained for: an opportunity to win,” Judge Portley wrote. Portley said that Hannosh was fully aware of the terms of which he decided to gamble the large amount of money on, which included that the website could keep up to 10% of all winnings.
“Voluntary Internet gambling is a gamble — pick the right team or the spread on the game, you win and make money; pick the wrong team or the spread on the game, you lose and owe money,” Judge Portley said.
“Gambling losses would not qualify as an injury to person because gambling without a chance to lose is not a legally protected interest,” Judge Portley said. “Because Hannosh voluntarily took the understood risk that he could win and that he could lose, his losses cannot be considered an ‘injury to person’ recoverable through an Arizona RICO lawsuit.”