This just in! PokerStars got some good news on Thursday after a judge dismissed a long-running lawsuit leveled against it by an Illinois woman who claimed to represent thousands of gamblers who had lost money while playing poker on the site.

Judge David R. Herndon granted a motion to dismiss an amended complaint filed by Kelly Sonnenberg to put the lawsuit to bed for good. “This is a major victory for PokerStars and instructive for other online gaming providers facing similar attacks from plaintiffs seeking unjust windfalls,” said PokerStars attorney Jeff Ifrah. “Through three amended filings by the plaintiffs, alleging many new claims, we clearly proved that the plaintiffs’ cases lacked any merit.”

In August 2012, Sonnenberg filed suit against the Isle of Man-based gaming giant, alleging that the Illinois Loss Recovery Act afforded her the right to sue on behalf of third-parties who fell victim to fraud. Indeed, the legislation allows for a third-party to recover up to three times the amount lost, provided that the original victim does not file their own complaint within six months.

Sonnenberg claimed that as PokerStars was found to be operating illegally in the US, thousands of players who legitimately lost money playing poker on the site should be considered victims. In fact, she had not lost any money on the site, but claimed to be related to someone who did.

“This was an incredibly high-stakes case,” said Rational Group attorney Rachel Hirsch. “As the Illinois Loss Recovery Act permits an award of triple the amount of losses, millions of dollars were at stake. This win will protect other online gaming providers from similar meritless actions.”

Last year, Herndon dropped the case, ruling that the defendants only provided the forum in which gamblers could compete against each other. Therefore, PokerStars should be seen as a third-party service provider who “did not have a stake in how the game is decided.”

He further stated that it could not be proven that the defendants personally profited from users’ losses aside from collecting a rake. As Sonnenberg had not specified an amount which was supposedly defrauded, the judge gave her an opportunity to amend her complaint.

In the meantime, Sonnenberg continued to be a thorn in PokerStars’ side. Last April, Sonnenberg’s attorneys argued to gain access to the gaming giant’s application for a New Jersey gaming license. US magistrate Judge Stephen Williams, however, granted a stay of discovery until PokerStars’ motion to dismiss the suit was resolved.

On Thursday, Herndon finally scrapped the case for good and ruled that the amendments made were not sufficient. “In what is a traditionally plaintiff-friendly court, the judge agreed with all of our arguments, including the plaintiffs’ failures to specify a specific loss and to allege that either Full Tilt Poker or PokerStars, as the ‘house,’ could be considered winners within the meaning of the Illinois gambling-loss recovery statute,” Ifrah (pictured) said.

Sonnenberg’s lawyers had also filed suit against PokerStars’ sister company, Full Tilt, on behalf of Daniel and Judy Fahrner. That lawsuit was dismissed as well. A class-action lawsuit was dismissed a year ago.

The plaintiffs were likely influenced by the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s successful lawsuit against PartyGaming in 2010. In that case, the Bluegrass State sued on behalf of players who had lost money on PartyPoker and other gaming sites. bwin.party ended up settling the case for $15 million.

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