The outrage following the DOJ online gambling reversal on the Wire Act was swift and wide-reaching. Many wondered how it would be possible for the top law enforcement department in the country to suddenly decide to change course on a topic so sensitive, coincidentally after sports gambling became legal across the U.S. The immediate reaction, which was based on certain assumptions and intuitive deductions, was that someone in the gambling industry—perhaps someone like outspoken online gambling opponent Sheldon Adelson—forced the DOJ to reverse its stance.

New Hampshire, through the New Hampshire Lottery, has already announced that it is suing “the U.S.A.,” along with U.S. Attorney General William Barr and the DOJ. Soon after that lawsuit was launched, New Jersey and Pennsylvania got onboard, and now Michigan is rallying for the cause, as well. The Michigan Lottery has filed an amicus brief, which gives it the right, if approved, to participate in the lawsuit.

The amicus filed by Michigan goes even further than the state’s boundaries. It includes a total of 11 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.). The amicus includes entities in Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Delaware, Colorado, Rhode Island, Virginia, Idaho, Vermont, Alaska, Mississippi and D.C. This is going to put a lot of pressure on the DOJ as it is forced to explain its position and there is no doubt that the true story behind its decision will come to light.

You can read more on the DOJ online gambling lawsuit at Calvin Ayre.