Online gambling is a lucrative multimillion-dollar industry worldwide that's expected to grow to $10 billion in three years, according to Datamonitor PLC, a market researcher in London. Hundreds of Web sites, mostly located outside the United States, currently lure surfers to virtual slot machines, craps and other Las Vegas-style games where the net casinos take major credit cards in in return for virtual chips.

Such forms of Internet gambling sites may be illegal under U.S. law and such credit card debts may be unenforceable argues the Rothken Law Firm on behalf of the plaintiff in their case against American Express and Discover Card.