A virtual casino game amounts to illegal gambling because the game’s virtual chips have real value, a federal appeals court ruled.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit’s decision departs from decisions by another appeals court and three district courts that held in-game items aren’t things of value under gambling statutes, Bloomberg Law data show.
Plaintiff Cheryl Kater brought unlawful gambling claims against the game app’s maker, Churchill Downs Inc., in the state of Washington. Kater alleged she lost $1,000 worth of virtual chips in the game, called Big Fish Casino.
The chips in Big Fish Casino are ...
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